Prepping The Fat

"The Real Blackborow™" cleaned up and ready to go.

Yesterday's post about the long tail Blackborow got me to thinking about my OG Blackborow, the Blackborow DS. It was ridden and put away wet, for real, and therefore needed a good once over.

It was mud covered from head to toe. The good thing was that the Blackborow DS is so simple that it would really need only the wipe down and not much else. Two brake cables with full run housings and no derailleur cables at all means low maintenance. The chain is spotless, and because it is a "rust buster" style single speed chain, it seems to just keep going. The chain rings and cogs are stainless steel too. This is the very reason why I bought the Blackborow DS over the geared version. Besides a tube, the only parts I have changed so far are upgrade parts. Well........I did modify the front brake hose routing guide. So there is that.

The biggest change, obviously, was the bar. The H-Bar Jones Loop Carbon 710 is amazing. I had forgotten how compliant feeling it is. While it is hideously expensive, I am glad I spent the dollars on it. I've harped on this here before, but if you have not tried riding a carbon handle bar with cork grips in Winter you just won't get it. So much better!

I think that this year I am going to upgrade the pedals to Fixation Mesa MP models. They are a composite impact resistant nylon something or another, sealed bearings, metal pins, and all at only $59.99 and 351 grams for the pair. I've had a pair on my Ti Mukluk for something like 5 years now and they will not die. Perfect for snow/ice and a Winter boot. I don't need or want to clip in, and it isn't necessary to either. I can do all the things on flats that I do in clipless pedals without the metal heat sink of a clipless pedal in a cycling specific Winter boot. AND it all costs much less, AND I can wear the footwear I choose anywhere I want to off the bike. 

Anyway, I got a bit off track there, but the ol' Blackborow is ready for action! 

Prepping The Fat

"The Real Blackborow™" cleaned up and ready to go.

Yesterday's post about the long tail Blackborow got me to thinking about my OG Blackborow, the Blackborow DS. It was ridden and put away wet, for real, and therefore needed a good once over.

It was mud covered from head to toe. The good thing was that the Blackborow DS is so simple that it would really need only the wipe down and not much else. Two brake cables with full run housings and no derailleur cables at all means low maintenance. The chain is spotless, and because it is a "rust buster" style single speed chain, it seems to just keep going. The chain rings and cogs are stainless steel too. This is the very reason why I bought the Blackborow DS over the geared version. Besides a tube, the only parts I have changed so far are upgrade parts. Well........I did modify the front brake hose routing guide. So there is that.

The biggest change, obviously, was the bar. The H-Bar Jones Loop Carbon 710 is amazing. I had forgotten how compliant feeling it is. While it is hideously expensive, I am glad I spent the dollars on it. I've harped on this here before, but if you have not tried riding a carbon handle bar with cork grips in Winter you just won't get it. So much better!

I think that this year I am going to upgrade the pedals to Fixation Mesa MP models. They are a composite impact resistant nylon something or another, sealed bearings, metal pins, and all at only $59.99 and 351 grams for the pair. I've had a pair on my Ti Mukluk for something like 5 years now and they will not die. Perfect for snow/ice and a Winter boot. I don't need or want to clip in, and it isn't necessary to either. I can do all the things on flats that I do in clipless pedals without the metal heat sink of a clipless pedal in a cycling specific Winter boot. AND it all costs much less, AND I can wear the footwear I choose anywhere I want to off the bike. 

Anyway, I got a bit off track there, but the ol' Blackborow is ready for action! 

Friday News And Views

Looks like a regular ol' Jones Loop Bar, but the difference is inside.

Budget Version Loop Bar"

Jones Loop Bars, or as they were in the past, Jones H-Bars, were always a bit pricey. Especially when they were all made from titanium. I always wanted one, but never would pop for that much coin to get one. (Look at me now! A Carbon Loop Bar owner!) Anyway, Jones Bars are weird, and anytime you get into the "weird zone" with cycling components, people tend to get a bit skittish about spending a lot for an "unknown" benefit that may not be real for them.

Well, Jeff Jones realized this, I think, back when the whole licensing deal with Titec was in force. The Titec H-Bar sold well enough that I think it caused Jones to debut an aluminum version for his own company eventually. That bar is still over a hundred bones, so Jones found a way to get the Loop Bar well under $100.00. Now maybe you could afford to check out what all the fuss is about.

The way they did it was to use straight gauge tubing which adds weight but is cheaper to make. Otherwise it is the same Loop Bar in terms of strength, dimensions, and shape. The SG Loop Bar (SG = Straight Gauge), is $79.00 and available for pre-order from Jones Bikes now.

I like Jones Bars, and I am probably going to add a couple to some bikes here at Guitar Ted Productions. Stay tuned for that.......

Paul Components QR Seat Collar

Maybe This Should Have Been Called The Klamper?

Just in case you may have missed it, NAHBS, (North American Handmade Bike Show), just happened over the past weekend. There was this whole fuss about Peacock Groove's purple bike for Anna Schwinn, but other than that, the coolest thing, in my opinion, to come out of the Salt Lake City show was the Paul QR Seat Collar.

There used to be loads of "chi-chi" items one could buy for their mountain bikes back in the day. One of the bits you might have "upgraded" to some wild, CNC machined, anodized color was your seat collar. Many of these bits and baubles for bikes have disappeared. What is available is usually in the realm of customized urban, "hot rod" bicycles.

However; Paul Components still makes a few bits which are either direct from "back in the day" that never went away, or hearken back to such parts. The QR Seat Collar is one of the latter. It retains the cool, machined look of the old days with the modern style and functionality one would expect from a more mainstream component company. In other words, you get style that actually works. At least that's been my experience with other Paul Components parts.

For years the Salsa Cycles Lip-Lock seat binder was about the only cool seat QR you could get. So it is nice to see Paul Components offering such a classy yet flashy bit to adorn your sled with. Apparently, this seat collar is offered in purple! I better get on that...... MSRP is $53.00 USD.

Trans Iowa V12 News & Updates:

While I try to disseminate news and updates on the Trans Iowa site, I have found through the years that many times it is best to post stuff here. I can take more space here to get into details, for one thing. That and it seems that it boils down to the fact that as many places as I can post this information, the better chance it will have of reaching the intended audience.

So..... The Grinnell Steakhouse has confirmed the date we are to be using their facilities for the Pre-Race Meat-Up. This is the mandatory meeting place if you are riding in T.I.v13. The Meat-Up begins at 4:00pm and socializing and eating is encouraged until 6:30pm. Also- you have till 6:30pm to sign on. Miss this and you aren't riding in T.I.v13. DO NOT BE LATE!! About 7:00pm I'll conduct the meeting proper. By 8:00 we should all be outta there and trying to find our beds to get ready for the 4:00am start in front of Bikes To You in Grinnell.

T-shirt order is being finalized and sent in for printing. If you are reading this, and you didn't bother to respond to my post and e-mail I directed at you, and you are in T.I.v13, well guess what? You won't be getting a t-shirt, that's what. There aren't many of you, probably less than 20, but so be it. I cannot be arsed to track you down for a free t-shirt any longer.

More Trans Iowa news and details coming soon....

Have a great weekend and ride those bicycles, y'all!

Friday News And Views

Looks like a regular ol' Jones Loop Bar, but the difference is inside.

Budget Version Loop Bar"

Jones Loop Bars, or as they were in the past, Jones H-Bars, were always a bit pricey. Especially when they were all made from titanium. I always wanted one, but never would pop for that much coin to get one. (Look at me now! A Carbon Loop Bar owner!) Anyway, Jones Bars are weird, and anytime you get into the "weird zone" with cycling components, people tend to get a bit skittish about spending a lot for an "unknown" benefit that may not be real for them.

Well, Jeff Jones realized this, I think, back when the whole licensing deal with Titec was in force. The Titec H-Bar sold well enough that I think it caused Jones to debut an aluminum version for his own company eventually. That bar is still over a hundred bones, so Jones found a way to get the Loop Bar well under $100.00. Now maybe you could afford to check out what all the fuss is about.

The way they did it was to use straight gauge tubing which adds weight but is cheaper to make. Otherwise it is the same Loop Bar in terms of strength, dimensions, and shape. The SG Loop Bar (SG = Straight Gauge), is $79.00 and available for pre-order from Jones Bikes now.

I like Jones Bars, and I am probably going to add a couple to some bikes here at Guitar Ted Productions. Stay tuned for that.......

Paul Components QR Seat Collar

Maybe This Should Have Been Called The Klamper?

Just in case you may have missed it, NAHBS, (North American Handmade Bike Show), just happened over the past weekend. There was this whole fuss about Peacock Groove's purple bike for Anna Schwinn, but other than that, the coolest thing, in my opinion, to come out of the Salt Lake City show was the Paul QR Seat Collar.

There used to be loads of "chi-chi" items one could buy for their mountain bikes back in the day. One of the bits you might have "upgraded" to some wild, CNC machined, anodized color was your seat collar. Many of these bits and baubles for bikes have disappeared. What is available is usually in the realm of customized urban, "hot rod" bicycles.

However; Paul Components still makes a few bits which are either direct from "back in the day" that never went away, or hearken back to such parts. The QR Seat Collar is one of the latter. It retains the cool, machined look of the old days with the modern style and functionality one would expect from a more mainstream component company. In other words, you get style that actually works. At least that's been my experience with other Paul Components parts.

For years the Salsa Cycles Lip-Lock seat binder was about the only cool seat QR you could get. So it is nice to see Paul Components offering such a classy yet flashy bit to adorn your sled with. Apparently, this seat collar is offered in purple! I better get on that...... MSRP is $53.00 USD.

Trans Iowa V12 News & Updates:

While I try to disseminate news and updates on the Trans Iowa site, I have found through the years that many times it is best to post stuff here. I can take more space here to get into details, for one thing. That and it seems that it boils down to the fact that as many places as I can post this information, the better chance it will have of reaching the intended audience.

So..... The Grinnell Steakhouse has confirmed the date we are to be using their facilities for the Pre-Race Meat-Up. This is the mandatory meeting place if you are riding in T.I.v13. The Meat-Up begins at 4:00pm and socializing and eating is encouraged until 6:30pm. Also- you have till 6:30pm to sign on. Miss this and you aren't riding in T.I.v13. DO NOT BE LATE!! About 7:00pm I'll conduct the meeting proper. By 8:00 we should all be outta there and trying to find our beds to get ready for the 4:00am start in front of Bikes To You in Grinnell.

T-shirt order is being finalized and sent in for printing. If you are reading this, and you didn't bother to respond to my post and e-mail I directed at you, and you are in T.I.v13, well guess what? You won't be getting a t-shirt, that's what. There aren't many of you, probably less than 20, but so be it. I cannot be arsed to track you down for a free t-shirt any longer.

More Trans Iowa news and details coming soon....

Have a great weekend and ride those bicycles, y'all!

Jones Carbon Loop H-Bar: Update

Winter has hit hard early so I have a good sense of how this bar works now.

The Jones Carbon Loop H-Bar has been on my Blackborow DS for a bit over a month now. I was going to wait to post an update on this until after Winter had dropped some snow and cold on us. Well, I wasn't expecting to have had the opportunity so soon to comment, but with a decent amount of snow and frigid temperatures, I have some feedback.

 The Jones Bar in the carbon flavor was also ridden previous to all the Winter stuff happening. That was mostly on wet, greasy trails with some amount of roots, sand, and a few places that are rock strewn. Here I could feel that slight amount of give at times, which was welcomed. But honestly, that sensation one gets when first torquing on this bar is completely unnoticeable once you have a mile or two under your tires.

In the snow, where I usually ride anyway, there is a lot more lofting and slow maneuvering around than when it is dry. Here I was also pleased with the Jones Loop Bar as I was still able to cut a tight turn without the bar interfering with my pedaling and causing me to lose momentum. Lofting the bike's front end was actually made a bit easier since I had a more rearward grip position from which to launch with. So, in comparison to the stock Salsa Salt Flat Bar I had, the bar was an improvement.

Cutting new tracks was easier since I had a more favorable position for doing that.

The more rearward position attainable now with the Jones Loop Bar also provided me with a new option for cutting fresh tracks in about 4 inches of snow and through some moderate drifts. Now I can unweight the front wheel by sort of "standing"in the bike. Basically I am sitting on the saddle but almost completely upright with my hands almost completely unweighted on the bars. It allows me to make minor steering corrections without plowing the front wheel sideways and washing out.

The results have been very encouraging so far, and I cannot wait to try this in even deeper snow. I have actually gotten into about a foot of plowed "car snow" and even there I was making headway far better than I ever had before. So, just from that standpoint, the bars have made a big change for the better in how I can ride the Blackborow DS in snow.

There is also the carbon fiber material, which is great when the temperatures are hovering around zero and the bar doesn't freeze your hands when you grab on anywhere. Oh, and I do use all the different hand positions available here for riding. It's great from that standpoint as well.

So far, so good. I'll update again when and if things warrant it.

Jones Carbon Loop H-Bar: Update

Winter has hit hard early so I have a good sense of how this bar works now.

The Jones Carbon Loop H-Bar has been on my Blackborow DS for a bit over a month now. I was going to wait to post an update on this until after Winter had dropped some snow and cold on us. Well, I wasn't expecting to have had the opportunity so soon to comment, but with a decent amount of snow and frigid temperatures, I have some feedback.

 The Jones Bar in the carbon flavor was also ridden previous to all the Winter stuff happening. That was mostly on wet, greasy trails with some amount of roots, sand, and a few places that are rock strewn. Here I could feel that slight amount of give at times, which was welcomed. But honestly, that sensation one gets when first torquing on this bar is completely unnoticeable once you have a mile or two under your tires.

In the snow, where I usually ride anyway, there is a lot more lofting and slow maneuvering around than when it is dry. Here I was also pleased with the Jones Loop Bar as I was still able to cut a tight turn without the bar interfering with my pedaling and causing me to lose momentum. Lofting the bike's front end was actually made a bit easier since I had a more rearward grip position from which to launch with. So, in comparison to the stock Salsa Salt Flat Bar I had, the bar was an improvement.

Cutting new tracks was easier since I had a more favorable position for doing that.

The more rearward position attainable now with the Jones Loop Bar also provided me with a new option for cutting fresh tracks in about 4 inches of snow and through some moderate drifts. Now I can unweight the front wheel by sort of "standing"in the bike. Basically I am sitting on the saddle but almost completely upright with my hands almost completely unweighted on the bars. It allows me to make minor steering corrections without plowing the front wheel sideways and washing out.

The results have been very encouraging so far, and I cannot wait to try this in even deeper snow. I have actually gotten into about a foot of plowed "car snow" and even there I was making headway far better than I ever had before. So, just from that standpoint, the bars have made a big change for the better in how I can ride the Blackborow DS in snow.

There is also the carbon fiber material, which is great when the temperatures are hovering around zero and the bar doesn't freeze your hands when you grab on anywhere. Oh, and I do use all the different hand positions available here for riding. It's great from that standpoint as well.

So far, so good. I'll update again when and if things warrant it.