Until Next Year Then

Well, as I look at the calendar, it is quite apparent that my plan to set the Blackborow up in its Summer mode is way past due. Mid-Fall is leading to Winter sooner than later, and it is about time to go through the Blackborow and return the rigid fork to it for the upcoming colder weather.

So, I wanted to give my long term impressions on the Bluto fork and maybe look at some ideas for the future here....

The Bluto fork is, in a word, genius. While it isn't the best performing fork that could have been made for a fat bike, it is a reliable, decent performing one that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that fat bikes benefit from front suspension forks. At least using them in non-Winter conditions, I believe that is the case. However; and I can only speak for myself here, I wouldn't want a suspension fork and that extra weight on the bike for the sort of Winter riding I do.

The Bluto does do a great job of controlling that front wheel and enhancing the suspension effects that a big, fat 4.8" tire can have. It not only enhances that big tire's effects, it adds to that equation. If you have a fat bike that you can put a Bluto on, you should do it. It is definitely worth trying. It will allow you to go faster, it will allow you to gain even more comfort and control, and it will make your bike seem invincible. That last part may not be a good thing depending on who you are and where you ride!

Looking forward to doing more of this.

Now, as I say, the Bluto is just the start, and we could have better stuff coming. I find it hard to believe that the Bluto will be the only game in town, but as of now- it is. Maybe we will have to wait a while, but it seems to me that another competitor to the Bluto would be something fat bikers would like to be able to have as a choice. Maybe a fat bike version of a Fox fork, as an example. Maybe a Manitou. That would be cool.

Other than more top-brand name choices, what could be better? Fore-aft stability for one. Those big tires have a big grip, and leverage the fork mightily. The damper could be better and tuned out of the box for cold weather use.

That said, we have it pretty good with the Bluto. It's pretty bomb-proof, and you can upgrade it. I may get around to doing that to mine over the Winter. That will be good to do, but first I need to get the rest of the Summer set up rounded up so when next Summer comes, the Bluto and the those parts should make for a fun mountain bike platform. Until then, I'm putting the original equipment fork back on, mounting the Anything HD cages back on it, and making sure I check every bolt before Ol' Man Winter decides to show up.

Until Next Year Then

Well, as I look at the calendar, it is quite apparent that my plan to set the Blackborow up in its Summer mode is way past due. Mid-Fall is leading to Winter sooner than later, and it is about time to go through the Blackborow and return the rigid fork to it for the upcoming colder weather.

So, I wanted to give my long term impressions on the Bluto fork and maybe look at some ideas for the future here....

The Bluto fork is, in a word, genius. While it isn't the best performing fork that could have been made for a fat bike, it is a reliable, decent performing one that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that fat bikes benefit from front suspension forks. At least using them in non-Winter conditions, I believe that is the case. However; and I can only speak for myself here, I wouldn't want a suspension fork and that extra weight on the bike for the sort of Winter riding I do.

The Bluto does do a great job of controlling that front wheel and enhancing the suspension effects that a big, fat 4.8" tire can have. It not only enhances that big tire's effects, it adds to that equation. If you have a fat bike that you can put a Bluto on, you should do it. It is definitely worth trying. It will allow you to go faster, it will allow you to gain even more comfort and control, and it will make your bike seem invincible. That last part may not be a good thing depending on who you are and where you ride!

Looking forward to doing more of this.

Now, as I say, the Bluto is just the start, and we could have better stuff coming. I find it hard to believe that the Bluto will be the only game in town, but as of now- it is. Maybe we will have to wait a while, but it seems to me that another competitor to the Bluto would be something fat bikers would like to be able to have as a choice. Maybe a fat bike version of a Fox fork, as an example. Maybe a Manitou. That would be cool.

Other than more top-brand name choices, what could be better? Fore-aft stability for one. Those big tires have a big grip, and leverage the fork mightily. The damper could be better and tuned out of the box for cold weather use.

That said, we have it pretty good with the Bluto. It's pretty bomb-proof, and you can upgrade it. I may get around to doing that to mine over the Winter. That will be good to do, but first I need to get the rest of the Summer set up rounded up so when next Summer comes, the Bluto and the those parts should make for a fun mountain bike platform. Until then, I'm putting the original equipment fork back on, mounting the Anything HD cages back on it, and making sure I check every bolt before Ol' Man Winter decides to show up.

Salsa Cycles Blackborow And Bluto Fork

The Bluto dealt with mud better than I thought it would

It was Wednesday and the mighty RAGBY was coming into town. I worked till about noon, bugged out, and got on my Blackborow to see how the Green Belt was doing. I had heard rumors that it had been mowed and was clear enough to ride through.

I had just installed a Rock Shox Bluto fork on the front of the Blackborow recently. My intentions were not to be running these wheels or the dinglespeed drive train on it, but the rest of my parts have not been procured as of yet, so I have to hold off riding, or decide just to go with it as is, and of course, that is what I did.

I had no idea what to expect other than what I had heard from a few trusted folks I know that were pretty positive that it would make my Blackborow better. One of those folks, MG, had plenty of time with one and had lots of good things to say, so I was positive about trying it out, but I didn't really think it would make that much difference. You see, the Green Belt is not necessarily known for it's elevation changes, nor for lots of rough trail features. I already had 4.8" fat bike tires at low pressures, what else could I need? Well, not a lot for the Green Belt, is what I was thinking. I took off on a sunny, pleasant afternoon and headed over to give it a go and see what all the fuss was about. I didn't even check the fork's air spring pressure, which was set by the previous owner and felt plenty stiff to me.

The beast emerges from the jungle!

The Bluto looks nice with the graphics on my Blackborow DS and compliments the bike nicely. 

The initial ride over and whatnot was nothing different than usual. Which is a positive thing, I think. Of course, the bike gained a bit of weight in the exchange, but as I pedaled it along, I didn't feel anything dragging me down. The Green Belt was mowed, as reported, so I dove in and cruised the mostly smooth trail for the first sector.

A lot of the trail was like this- no big deal.

I was going along and feeling good about the bike, but as I have said, the trail wasn't really all that demanding. In fact, at first I thought is was uncommonly dry for having had rain a day before. Much of the initial parts were so dry the earth was cracked.

Then I came across some sand, and I didn't catch this at first, but later on into the trail, I realized that instead of washing out the front wheel, I was able to correct the way the front end was headed, and avert any crashes or stops to catch myself from going down. I feel it was due to the suspension fork being able to absorb my initial corrections which gave me time to get the bike back underneath me and carry on. That was a good thing.

Then I started coming up on some blow downs that had trail work-arounds so you could get by the limbs and what not. This coincided with the occurrence of muddy spots and then out and out mud pits where the big 4.8's showed their worth. I was able to pretty much motor right through without too much trouble at all. All of that done in the "high" range on the dinglespeed drive train. That made me happy, because when I got the bike, using the "high" range wasn't working for me. Now I was pushing that gear with no real problem at all, and even climbing the dikes in it. Guess I must be in better shape than I thought.

A deep, sloppy mud hole that the Blackborow just floated right through.

Old school single track in Marky-Mark

I decided to try and take as much of the Green Belt in as possible, so I took several of the spur trails and they were all pretty clear, for the most part. I got into the Robinson Bird Sanctuary portion of the trails and things were still fine with the exception of about three or four blow downs that mostly had ride-able work-arounds already burned in. The sandy stuff way out by Shaulis Road was no big deal for the fat bike. In fact, with all the muddy spots and with the sand, a fat bike is the recommended bike to use out there, I would say.

On the way back I rode Marky-Mark, and much to my surprise it was clear and open to ride. That was nice to see. I blazed that trail, (mostly), myself back in 1997, so it is nice to find that, not only that it still exists at all, but that folks seem to care about that connector enough that they keep it clear to ride.

So- is the Bluto worth the trouble? That's a great question that I am inclined to say "yes" to right now. It handled all the gooey mud I threw at it without getting the front wheel bogged down. I used almost all the travel, (see image above for where the orange "O" ring is), and for the most part, I didn't notice any big differences in handling. The ride was definitely smoother, and big jolts were absorbed well so I didn't have numb hands or more fatigue than necessary. I felt cornering was enhanced a bit.

But let's not be hasty. I want to ride this some more on different trails before I get too excited about it. Stay tuned.....

Salsa Cycles Blackborow And Bluto Fork

The Bluto dealt with mud better than I thought it would

It was Wednesday and the mighty RAGBY was coming into town. I worked till about noon, bugged out, and got on my Blackborow to see how the Green Belt was doing. I had heard rumors that it had been mowed and was clear enough to ride through.

I had just installed a Rock Shox Bluto fork on the front of the Blackborow recently. My intentions were not to be running these wheels or the dinglespeed drive train on it, but the rest of my parts have not been procured as of yet, so I have to hold off riding, or decide just to go with it as is, and of course, that is what I did.

I had no idea what to expect other than what I had heard from a few trusted folks I know that were pretty positive that it would make my Blackborow better. One of those folks, MG, had plenty of time with one and had lots of good things to say, so I was positive about trying it out, but I didn't really think it would make that much difference. You see, the Green Belt is not necessarily known for it's elevation changes, nor for lots of rough trail features. I already had 4.8" fat bike tires at low pressures, what else could I need? Well, not a lot for the Green Belt, is what I was thinking. I took off on a sunny, pleasant afternoon and headed over to give it a go and see what all the fuss was about. I didn't even check the fork's air spring pressure, which was set by the previous owner and felt plenty stiff to me.

The beast emerges from the jungle!

The Bluto looks nice with the graphics on my Blackborow DS and compliments the bike nicely. 

The initial ride over and whatnot was nothing different than usual. Which is a positive thing, I think. Of course, the bike gained a bit of weight in the exchange, but as I pedaled it along, I didn't feel anything dragging me down. The Green Belt was mowed, as reported, so I dove in and cruised the mostly smooth trail for the first sector.

A lot of the trail was like this- no big deal.

I was going along and feeling good about the bike, but as I have said, the trail wasn't really all that demanding. In fact, at first I thought is was uncommonly dry for having had rain a day before. Much of the initial parts were so dry the earth was cracked.

Then I came across some sand, and I didn't catch this at first, but later on into the trail, I realized that instead of washing out the front wheel, I was able to correct the way the front end was headed, and avert any crashes or stops to catch myself from going down. I feel it was due to the suspension fork being able to absorb my initial corrections which gave me time to get the bike back underneath me and carry on. That was a good thing.

Then I started coming up on some blow downs that had trail work-arounds so you could get by the limbs and what not. This coincided with the occurrence of muddy spots and then out and out mud pits where the big 4.8's showed their worth. I was able to pretty much motor right through without too much trouble at all. All of that done in the "high" range on the dinglespeed drive train. That made me happy, because when I got the bike, using the "high" range wasn't working for me. Now I was pushing that gear with no real problem at all, and even climbing the dikes in it. Guess I must be in better shape than I thought.

A deep, sloppy mud hole that the Blackborow just floated right through.

Old school single track in Marky-Mark

I decided to try and take as much of the Green Belt in as possible, so I took several of the spur trails and they were all pretty clear, for the most part. I got into the Robinson Bird Sanctuary portion of the trails and things were still fine with the exception of about three or four blow downs that mostly had ride-able work-arounds already burned in. The sandy stuff way out by Shaulis Road was no big deal for the fat bike. In fact, with all the muddy spots and with the sand, a fat bike is the recommended bike to use out there, I would say.

On the way back I rode Marky-Mark, and much to my surprise it was clear and open to ride. That was nice to see. I blazed that trail, (mostly), myself back in 1997, so it is nice to find that, not only that it still exists at all, but that folks seem to care about that connector enough that they keep it clear to ride.

So- is the Bluto worth the trouble? That's a great question that I am inclined to say "yes" to right now. It handled all the gooey mud I threw at it without getting the front wheel bogged down. I used almost all the travel, (see image above for where the orange "O" ring is), and for the most part, I didn't notice any big differences in handling. The ride was definitely smoother, and big jolts were absorbed well so I didn't have numb hands or more fatigue than necessary. I felt cornering was enhanced a bit.

But let's not be hasty. I want to ride this some more on different trails before I get too excited about it. Stay tuned.....

Blackborow DS: Final Verdict

From my record cold commute ride

Not long ago I was making a reference to having a final say on this bike once I had ridden it in some deeper snow. Well, that has happened and with the high likelihood that the snow is going away soon, I figured I was not going to be seeing anymore deep snow till next Winter. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I'm thinking we're looking at little bits of snow here and there and then Spring will be coming round the corner. Well, however it goes, this is my final say on this bike.

The Blackborow platform from Salsa is for the widest tires and rims on the market now. This provides the best flotation you can get, and as an aside, the most traction as well. The difference that you get from going from 3.8's to 4.8's is palpable and as a big guy, well worth the time to check out. You'll go further with more control, but as a downside to that, you might find that everything that was challenging before is suddenly a dull section of trail! Bottom line: Get the biggest tires and widest rims for the most in flotation, traction, and therefore the best "out of bounds" riding you might want to try.

Now, as far as the chassis, the Blackborow DS is simply the best package Salsa has made so far. The wheel base is in check, the front end is stable, yet the bike is very steerable, not "barge-like" at all. I tried a current Mukluk at the shop yesterday and was immediately struck by the slower handling of that bike. The Blackborow may not seem all that different on paper, but on the trail it simply is the most fun I've had on a fat bike outside of the Borealis Echo I rode last Summer.

Which brings me to two things the Echo had that would make the Blackborow better- Carbon fiber and a Bluto fork. The frame is stiff enough in aluminum, that isn't the issue, but carbon would likely be able to be tuned for a better ride quality and be lighter weight.

The front end would benefit from suspension in most cases. Yes.....even in Winter. But of course, especially during other times of the year. Ideally, I would have both kinds of forks on hand- the rigid fork for touring and adventuring, and the Bluto for everything else where regular trail riding would demand front suspension. Oh.......and I would have to have a dropper post!  I just about forgot about that.

My other posted impressions stand and furthermore, I think that this bike does do better things in deeper conditions than my Mukluks could do. I like the dual single speed drive train, (or "dinglespeed", and is what "DS" stands for here), but in the difficult, deeper snow, a geared selection would work better here. Fortunately you can get a Blackborow 1 with a full drive train. Of course, the DS model has all the fittings for gears and can be converted.

There are things that I think Salsa Cycles didn't quite get right with the Blackborow frames. The thing I will mention here is the lack of rack braze ons at the seat stays. While I don't give a rip for racks on a fat bike, it doesn't make sense not to have an attachment point for racks for those who do. Yes.....Salsa makes that goofy seat collar with a rack attachment, but after spending a fair amount of hard earned cabbage on a fat bike, you'd think it would have rack eyelets, since.....ya know...they say "Adventure by Bike", after all. The other thing I already ranted about. See what that is HERE. Fortunately, the second thing is something one can mod to make better.

So, this Blackborow DS has turned out to be a very positive purchase for me. Besides a couple of small details, the bike has been extremely fun and rewarding to own. Looking forward I want to try a front suspension fork on this, maybe a titanium seat post, and perhaps I will get around to lacing up a set of 29+ wheels with some tubeless Knards for the Summer. But whatever happens, I am sure I will be having fun on this bike in the future. Besides my gravel bikes, this could easily become the only mountain bike/off road bike I own.

Note: I purchased this bike with my own moolah and the opinions and comments expressed here are my own. I was not paid nor bribed by Salsa Cycles for this post.

Blackborow DS: Final Verdict

From my record cold commute ride

Not long ago I was making a reference to having a final say on this bike once I had ridden it in some deeper snow. Well, that has happened and with the high likelihood that the snow is going away soon, I figured I was not going to be seeing anymore deep snow till next Winter. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I'm thinking we're looking at little bits of snow here and there and then Spring will be coming round the corner. Well, however it goes, this is my final say on this bike.

The Blackborow platform from Salsa is for the widest tires and rims on the market now. This provides the best flotation you can get, and as an aside, the most traction as well. The difference that you get from going from 3.8's to 4.8's is palpable and as a big guy, well worth the time to check out. You'll go further with more control, but as a downside to that, you might find that everything that was challenging before is suddenly a dull section of trail! Bottom line: Get the biggest tires and widest rims for the most in flotation, traction, and therefore the best "out of bounds" riding you might want to try.

Now, as far as the chassis, the Blackborow DS is simply the best package Salsa has made so far. The wheel base is in check, the front end is stable, yet the bike is very steerable, not "barge-like" at all. I tried a current Mukluk at the shop yesterday and was immediately struck by the slower handling of that bike. The Blackborow may not seem all that different on paper, but on the trail it simply is the most fun I've had on a fat bike outside of the Borealis Echo I rode last Summer.

Which brings me to two things the Echo had that would make the Blackborow better- Carbon fiber and a Bluto fork. The frame is stiff enough in aluminum, that isn't the issue, but carbon would likely be able to be tuned for a better ride quality and be lighter weight.

The front end would benefit from suspension in most cases. Yes.....even in Winter. But of course, especially during other times of the year. Ideally, I would have both kinds of forks on hand- the rigid fork for touring and adventuring, and the Bluto for everything else where regular trail riding would demand front suspension. Oh.......and I would have to have a dropper post!  I just about forgot about that.

My other posted impressions stand and furthermore, I think that this bike does do better things in deeper conditions than my Mukluks could do. I like the dual single speed drive train, (or "dinglespeed", and is what "DS" stands for here), but in the difficult, deeper snow, a geared selection would work better here. Fortunately you can get a Blackborow 1 with a full drive train. Of course, the DS model has all the fittings for gears and can be converted.

There are things that I think Salsa Cycles didn't quite get right with the Blackborow frames. The thing I will mention here is the lack of rack braze ons at the seat stays. While I don't give a rip for racks on a fat bike, it doesn't make sense not to have an attachment point for racks for those who do. Yes.....Salsa makes that goofy seat collar with a rack attachment, but after spending a fair amount of hard earned cabbage on a fat bike, you'd think it would have rack eyelets, since.....ya know...they say "Adventure by Bike", after all. The other thing I already ranted about. See what that is HERE. Fortunately, the second thing is something one can mod to make better.

So, this Blackborow DS has turned out to be a very positive purchase for me. Besides a couple of small details, the bike has been extremely fun and rewarding to own. Looking forward I want to try a front suspension fork on this, maybe a titanium seat post, and perhaps I will get around to lacing up a set of 29+ wheels with some tubeless Knards for the Summer. But whatever happens, I am sure I will be having fun on this bike in the future. Besides my gravel bikes, this could easily become the only mountain bike/off road bike I own.

Note: I purchased this bike with my own moolah and the opinions and comments expressed here are my own. I was not paid nor bribed by Salsa Cycles for this post.

Friday News And Views: The "Sea Weasel Edition"

The Salsa Cycles Bucksaw 2 (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

Okay folks- hold yer horses, cause this here's Sea Weasel Edition time and I've got comments! Let's go!

Salsa Cycles Comes Through With The Fat FS: 

There was a fat bike, then a fat bike full suspension prototype, then rumors of Rock Shox doing a front suspension fork, then.......nuttin! 

Where was the bike? Heck, where was this mythical Rock Shox fat bike fork? Well, in the span of 48 hours both appeared out of the "vaporware fog" and are looking to become real, solid objects found on trails soon. Here are the details on Salsa Cycle's site if you care to read them.  I'll spare you what you've likely read a million times yesterday and make my personal comments on this news instead.

First off, this is no joke. I know a lot of folks are going to say that "fat bikes already have big fat cushions of air for tires, so whadda we need suspension for? That's stupid." Um.......excuse me, no.......you are stupid for thinking that. Here's why- A "big fat cushion of air" is basically an undamped spring. Yes......it can absorb a trail deformity. However; it will rebound with just about the same energy it absorbed, and after multiple absorptions and returns of said energy, you will (a) either go out of control, or (b) learn to make your body be the damping device, (aka- "Arm & Leg Damping Technology"), which you are certainly welcome to do. For the more civilized mountain bike riders, there is an advanced form of damping technology to control the uncontrolled rebound of pneumatic fat bike tires called  "Bluto", (see below), along with rear dampers from Rock Shox, and we are going to use that. Good luck with your backwards technology. Have a great ride, mmmkay?

Seriously- The Bucksaw, (and likely other bikes before we get to 2015 with fat tires and full suspension), is going to transform mountain biking as we know it. Mark my words- this is just the beginning folks. With the game changing traction of fat bike tires, carbon fiber rims, lightweight components, and new full suspension ideas grafted in, (thinking RS-1 type forks for starters), the mountain bike is going to fundamentally change again for the average trail bike rider. This ain't no snowbike, Brutha!

Image by Fixie Dave Nice

Rock Shox Bluto:

Of course, none of this would have happened had there not  been a production fat bike suspension fork. The much anticipated model, dubbed the "Bluto", was announced officially yesterday at Sea Otter (Weasel), although it had been leaked a day earlier by several sources.

While many will undoubtedly begin to shoot holes in this first product for the category from a major manufacturer, it has to be said that it probably is just the tip of the ice berg. Like the '05 Reba 29"er, or the earliest Rock Shox fork, the RS-1 26"er, this Bluto deal is just the start. While you may not believe fat bikes need a front suspension fork, in five or six years you won't believe we used this suspension fork when we'll be on stuff far more advanced. I'm sure of this. In fact, I think this is a revolutionary product and this should have been called the RS-1 to reflect that. Bluto? Really?!! Oh well......

In a great move, Rock Shox, by default or design, made this fork so it fits 29+ rubber. Now here comes the deal.......will the Bucksaw fit a 29+ rear tire? If not, I think Salsa may have missed a golden opportunity. Why? Because then I could buy one bike, and with two wheel sets cover everything from soft conditions to rock hard dirt with fat bike rims and tires to 29+ tires on 29"er rims and then to an "ultra-light" 29"er tire set up on the same rims. One bike- Three different uses.

Rocky Mountain's Blizzard w/Bluto: (Image courtesy of Rocky Mountain Bikes)

There are going to be several bikes hitting shop floors in late 2014 with the Bluto up front and several will be hard tails. In fact- most will be. If these new bikes don't fit 29+ rubber, I say they fail. Why? Because why shouldn't there be that option? That's why.

Regardless, this is a game changing day in off roading. It's just the tip of the iceberg too. We already know that Trek will have five fat bike models and two of those will be full suspension bikes. Can Specialized sit on the sidelines while this goes on? I think not. How long will Giant hold on to its 27.5" mantra? (Just long enough that they will be one of the last on board with the fat bike stuff, just like they were with 29"ers.) However it all goes, it has become quite obvious that fat bikes have become the "new 29"er", not the 27.5 inch wheeled so-called enduro rigs. 27.5 is a 26"er replacement, nothing more, nothing less. Fat bikes are really a game changer. They have inherent qualities that no other off road bicycle can match. No.......it isn't for everyone, but it will appeal to a much wider audience than 27.5 inch wheels would ever appeal to.

WTB Trailblazer 27.5 X 2.8

Unless it is 27.5+. Yes, you read that right. No, not the Instigator, a real 27.5 X 2.8" tire which was shown by WTB at the Sea Weasel. This wheel with the big rubber measures just shy of 29 inches and will fit many existing 29"ers. Sound like fun? I thought so..........

Okay, that's my commentary on that. Go out and get a ride in this weekend and keep the rubber side down.

Friday News And Views: The "Sea Weasel Edition"

The Salsa Cycles Bucksaw 2 (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

Okay folks- hold yer horses, cause this here's Sea Weasel Edition time and I've got comments! Let's go!

Salsa Cycles Comes Through With The Fat FS: 

There was a fat bike, then a fat bike full suspension prototype, then rumors of Rock Shox doing a front suspension fork, then.......nuttin! 

Where was the bike? Heck, where was this mythical Rock Shox fat bike fork? Well, in the span of 48 hours both appeared out of the "vaporware fog" and are looking to become real, solid objects found on trails soon. Here are the details on Salsa Cycle's site if you care to read them.  I'll spare you what you've likely read a million times yesterday and make my personal comments on this news instead.

First off, this is no joke. I know a lot of folks are going to say that "fat bikes already have big fat cushions of air for tires, so whadda we need suspension for? That's stupid." Um.......excuse me, no.......you are stupid for thinking that. Here's why- A "big fat cushion of air" is basically an undamped spring. Yes......it can absorb a trail deformity. However; it will rebound with just about the same energy it absorbed, and after multiple absorptions and returns of said energy, you will (a) either go out of control, or (b) learn to make your body be the damping device, (aka- "Arm & Leg Damping Technology"), which you are certainly welcome to do. For the more civilized mountain bike riders, there is an advanced form of damping technology to control the uncontrolled rebound of pneumatic fat bike tires called  "Bluto", (see below), along with rear dampers from Rock Shox, and we are going to use that. Good luck with your backwards technology. Have a great ride, mmmkay?

Seriously- The Bucksaw, (and likely other bikes before we get to 2015 with fat tires and full suspension), is going to transform mountain biking as we know it. Mark my words- this is just the beginning folks. With the game changing traction of fat bike tires, carbon fiber rims, lightweight components, and new full suspension ideas grafted in, (thinking RS-1 type forks for starters), the mountain bike is going to fundamentally change again for the average trail bike rider. This ain't no snowbike, Brutha!

Image by Fixie Dave Nice

Rock Shox Bluto:

Of course, none of this would have happened had there not  been a production fat bike suspension fork. The much anticipated model, dubbed the "Bluto", was announced officially yesterday at Sea Otter (Weasel), although it had been leaked a day earlier by several sources.

While many will undoubtedly begin to shoot holes in this first product for the category from a major manufacturer, it has to be said that it probably is just the tip of the ice berg. Like the '05 Reba 29"er, or the earliest Rock Shox fork, the RS-1 26"er, this Bluto deal is just the start. While you may not believe fat bikes need a front suspension fork, in five or six years you won't believe we used this suspension fork when we'll be on stuff far more advanced. I'm sure of this. In fact, I think this is a revolutionary product and this should have been called the RS-1 to reflect that. Bluto? Really?!! Oh well......

In a great move, Rock Shox, by default or design, made this fork so it fits 29+ rubber. Now here comes the deal.......will the Bucksaw fit a 29+ rear tire? If not, I think Salsa may have missed a golden opportunity. Why? Because then I could buy one bike, and with two wheel sets cover everything from soft conditions to rock hard dirt with fat bike rims and tires to 29+ tires on 29"er rims and then to an "ultra-light" 29"er tire set up on the same rims. One bike- Three different uses.

Rocky Mountain's Blizzard w/Bluto: (Image courtesy of Rocky Mountain Bikes)

There are going to be several bikes hitting shop floors in late 2014 with the Bluto up front and several will be hard tails. In fact- most will be. If these new bikes don't fit 29+ rubber, I say they fail. Why? Because why shouldn't there be that option? That's why.

Regardless, this is a game changing day in off roading. It's just the tip of the iceberg too. We already know that Trek will have five fat bike models and two of those will be full suspension bikes. Can Specialized sit on the sidelines while this goes on? I think not. How long will Giant hold on to its 27.5" mantra? (Just long enough that they will be one of the last on board with the fat bike stuff, just like they were with 29"ers.) However it all goes, it has become quite obvious that fat bikes have become the "new 29"er", not the 27.5 inch wheeled so-called enduro rigs. 27.5 is a 26"er replacement, nothing more, nothing less. Fat bikes are really a game changer. They have inherent qualities that no other off road bicycle can match. No.......it isn't for everyone, but it will appeal to a much wider audience than 27.5 inch wheels would ever appeal to.

WTB Trailblazer 27.5 X 2.8

Unless it is 27.5+. Yes, you read that right. No, not the Instigator, a real 27.5 X 2.8" tire which was shown by WTB at the Sea Weasel. This wheel with the big rubber measures just shy of 29 inches and will fit many existing 29"ers. Sound like fun? I thought so..........

Okay, that's my commentary on that. Go out and get a ride in this weekend and keep the rubber side down.