Friday News And Views

Updated logo colors

Welcome To The First "FN&V" for 2022!

Hey! We're back here with a new "Friday News and Views". This has become one of the most popular features on the blog here , so I appreciate all of you readers who have made this regular feature a big hit over the years. 

You'll also probably have noticed, (how could you not!), a new G-Ted logo color scheme. I decided the old blue/chartreuse and the grey scale versions were old in the teeth. So, I tweaked out the colors and this is what I came up with. I like the more 'eye-searing' color combinations, and since this is my blog, why not? It isn't like I'm going to offend any advertisers! Ha! 

Anyway, if you cannot handle the colors at all, let me know. If enough of you hate it, I can tweak it out to be something different. By the way, I should say that it was Jeff Kerkove who smoothed out my original design for this by using his college attained graphic design skills. So, thanks again, Jeff, if you ever happen upon this. I still appreciate what you did for me.

Profile Racing Announces New SS Freewheel Production:

As a single speed rider, you probably know that if you choose to go with a freewheel rear wheel, you have about three options for free wheels; Shimano, Dicta/Far East Brands, and White Industries. And we all know which one of those is best. 

Well, there is about to be another choice out there: Profile Racing's Elite Freewheel. It looks like something akin to the White Industries model, with the Profile version coming in with a titanium, six-pawl carrier, a tool steel outer ring, and with two ABEC sealed bearings. It will be rebuildable and it should provide single speed freaks what they want with 140 points of engagement at all times. 

They plan on a good run of choices in tooth count with anything from 16T-22T being made. Look for these in shops by Spring 2022. 

Will high end bike sales be D2C in the future? (Image courtesy of Kitzuma)

Changes In Retail Coming Soon?

The marketplace is in total flux at the moment, mostly amplified by COVID-19 effects. One of the changes which has been coming for a while that might fit into this massive shift in retail practices is a recent announcement by BikeExchange of Australia. 

While the acquisition of the Kitzuma bicycle shipping/delivery service itself may seem boring to many of you, it is worth paying attention here. Through some easy digging around, I found some signs that may point to this move by BikeExchange being a change in how new high end bicycles and motorized bicycles will be sold in the future. 

BikeExchange is a web hub for bicycle retailers who can post their inventory on pages hosted by BikeExchange which allows "Click-and-Collect" sales or, feasibly a delivered bicycle to your front door using a service like Kitzuma. While BikeExchange is an Australian based company, they have operations in several countries including the U.S. and in Europe.  

Kitzuma has already established a system for delivery, set up, and it wouldn't be far-fetched to see this as a way to do Direct to Consumer sales for high end accessories either. Think smart trainers, custom bike fitting, or fitting power meters/GPS/Bluetooth accessories for high end consumers. Kitzuma reportedly already charges its clients approximately $200.00/bike delivery/set up. That's not going to fly for your 'bread-and-butter' hybrid/bike path rider, but for a 12K electrified MTB? Heck yeah!

And with shrinking local bike shop opportunities for consumers due to shop counts going down, and with consumer buying trends changing, the "D2C" model will likely be explored not only more intently by BikeExchange, but by the big bike brands in North America like Trek, Giant, Specialized, and Cannondale. That said, as pointed out earlier, less expensive, 'every-day' bike sales probably are not going this route anytime soon. 

Stem Geekery:

Late last month MG and I were texting back and forth and he showed me a stem he put on his fat bike which allowed him to get enough elevation to use drop bars. He said it 'revolutionized' his bike and made it relevant again for him. 

A stem that can give an old dog of a bike new life has to be pretty special, and the Dischord Chromo Peeper Stem from Analog Cycles is that stem. It is a handmade in the U.S.A. stem and it essentially is a threadless riser stem with a really short extension. 

The theory here is that shorter stems and slacker head angles are more stable. You probably have noted that for many years stem lengths have been getting shorter. Well, 'back in the day', as in the 19th Century, stems pretty much were just like this Dischord Chromo Peeper. Steering was typically done from behind the steering axis. We got away from that and went to the opposite extreme by the mid to late 20th century. Since then, stem length has been creeping ever shorter. You can read why that might be on Analog Cycles' site. 

I'm a believer in shorter stems. To a point...... I do not think you can just summarily go ultra-short on stem length on a bicycle designed to have longer stems on it. You have to research your geometry, fit, and handling preferences. Then with all of that you can make a considered choice in stem length that makes sense, and go as short as you'd like to within those parameters that you set. If you can't get there from where you are at in terms of stem length/height, it may be time for a change in bicycles. But that said....

I wanted to grab a stem for another bike off my Pofahl Signature 29"er back in 2019. I needed a 'place-holder' stem so the handle bar assembly wouldn't be dangling from the brake housings. I grabbed the stem I figured I would least likely want to use on anything else. It was a 60mm stem off another MTB. Okay, fast forward to 2020. I decided to give that stem a whirl, since- why not? And you know what? It was a more stable, more comfortable ride with that stem, which was 30-40mm shorter than anything I'd used before on that bike. Wow! 

My Pofahl Signature 29"er during 2020's Single Speed century ride with the shorter stem.

So, I like the idea of maybe going a bit shorter than I've considered going on stem length and that with drop bars. This Analog Cycles offering looks intriguing, but it is not a cheap experiment. At nearly 200 bucks, you have to be pretty committed to the idea. I've tried tall, short reach stems before on bikes designed for flat bars, (Cigne Stem on a Karate Monkey) but although I was pretty sold on it, I found it to be too much of a good thing in terms of height. So, I went back to a slightly lower height stem and sold that Cigne Stem. 

I'll have to do some careful measurements and a mock-up of a drop bar on my Snow Dog fat bike, but I am strongly considering this Dischord Chromo Peeper Stem for that bike. Stay tuned.....

Geoff Kabush Has Concerns About The Life Time Gran Prix Events:

Gravel racing hits the news again? Already? Didn't I just have three days worth of gab on the gravel scene this week? 

Yes. 

And I've a feeling that now that thousands of dollars in prize money is being waved in rider's faces that we'll be seeing a LOT more news about gravel racing. The latest stir is over how Life Time Fitness set up their six event series called the Gran Prix. Three gravel, three MTB events, bigger prize money, and only 60 athletes were chosen. Geoff Kabush tried getting in, but after he publicly outed Life Time on their selection process and gave them some "smarty-pants" answers to the selection committee, (Kabush said he was giving 'honest feedback'), the selection process was - not surprisingly- unsuccessful for him. So, that's number one here.

Now he has taken an opportunity to write up an opinion piece on the Cyclingtips website here. I read through his reasons for his concerns. My overall feeling is that his concerns are a bit misdirected and, ultimately, a moot point. Why? Because Life Time made the series up, created the rules, and put that all out there for whomever wanted to sign up. If you got selected as one of the "lucky" 60 athletes, well now you have agreed to those rules. It is Life Time's 'sand box'. If ya don't like the rules- don't sign up. No one is making these athletes do anything- or are they??? 

You see, if you pay attention, press releases are coming out now about athletes signing on with new teams and getting new endorsement deals since they have been selected as one of the 60 riders in the series. Hmm....which came first? The signing on with the team, or getting the plumb position on the Gran Prix roster? There are probably instances where it worked both ways, but the timing of some of these announcements is suspect in that manner. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that maybe some of these deals were predicated on the athlete getting in the Gran Prix.

But, however that may be, if Life Time made it clear that you were going to be a social media maven (slave?) for Life Time's Gran Prix when you signed up, well then- you should have known better if you didn't think that was really going to be a thing. Again- no one is making these folks do this series against their will.....that we are aware of anyway.

And Kabush brings up doping controls, because, as he rightly points out, the game gets changed when the money comes out. It is a known fact that cheating has occurred back when there wasn't money in the gravel scene, so, yeah- totally! People will dope to win these events. Why wouldn't they? Especially with no controls at all happening in gravel racing. This is why I have been saying that this whole corporate gravel scene is not going to go well. It may take several years, but the few that make up the niche group of upper echelon athletes participating in this nonsense will eventually go right down the same road that Pro MTB, Road, and other sports have gone. 

It's kind of ironic because these are the reasons the gravel scene got going. The gravel scene was a rejection of top level racing and those who felt they "had" to participate in it. It was a rejection of the focus on the few upper tier of participants at the expense of the masses. It was a rejection of all the rules and regulations that stifled the sport. And now? 

Wash, rinse, repeat.

That's a wrap for the first "FN&V" for 2022! Have a fantastic weekend and get outside!

Friday News And Views

Updated logo colors

Welcome To The First "FN&V" for 2022!

Hey! We're back here with a new "Friday News and Views". This has become one of the most popular features on the blog here , so I appreciate all of you readers who have made this regular feature a big hit over the years. 

You'll also probably have noticed, (how could you not!), a new G-Ted logo color scheme. I decided the old blue/chartreuse and the grey scale versions were old in the teeth. So, I tweaked out the colors and this is what I came up with. I like the more 'eye-searing' color combinations, and since this is my blog, why not? It isn't like I'm going to offend any advertisers! Ha! 

Anyway, if you cannot handle the colors at all, let me know. If enough of you hate it, I can tweak it out to be something different. By the way, I should say that it was Jeff Kerkove who smoothed out my original design for this by using his college attained graphic design skills. So, thanks again, Jeff, if you ever happen upon this. I still appreciate what you did for me.

Profile Racing Announces New SS Freewheel Production:

As a single speed rider, you probably know that if you choose to go with a freewheel rear wheel, you have about three options for free wheels; Shimano, Dicta/Far East Brands, and White Industries. And we all know which one of those is best. 

Well, there is about to be another choice out there: Profile Racing's Elite Freewheel. It looks like something akin to the White Industries model, with the Profile version coming in with a titanium, six-pawl carrier, a tool steel outer ring, and with two ABEC sealed bearings. It will be rebuildable and it should provide single speed freaks what they want with 140 points of engagement at all times. 

They plan on a good run of choices in tooth count with anything from 16T-22T being made. Look for these in shops by Spring 2022. 

Will high end bike sales be D2C in the future? (Image courtesy of Kitzuma)

Changes In Retail Coming Soon?

The marketplace is in total flux at the moment, mostly amplified by COVID-19 effects. One of the changes which has been coming for a while that might fit into this massive shift in retail practices is a recent announcement by BikeExchange of Australia. 

While the acquisition of the Kitzuma bicycle shipping/delivery service itself may seem boring to many of you, it is worth paying attention here. Through some easy digging around, I found some signs that may point to this move by BikeExchange being a change in how new high end bicycles and motorized bicycles will be sold in the future. 

BikeExchange is a web hub for bicycle retailers who can post their inventory on pages hosted by BikeExchange which allows "Click-and-Collect" sales or, feasibly a delivered bicycle to your front door using a service like Kitzuma. While BikeExchange is an Australian based company, they have operations in several countries including the U.S. and in Europe.  

Kitzuma has already established a system for delivery, set up, and it wouldn't be far-fetched to see this as a way to do Direct to Consumer sales for high end accessories either. Think smart trainers, custom bike fitting, or fitting power meters/GPS/Bluetooth accessories for high end consumers. Kitzuma reportedly already charges its clients approximately $200.00/bike delivery/set up. That's not going to fly for your 'bread-and-butter' hybrid/bike path rider, but for a 12K electrified MTB? Heck yeah!

And with shrinking local bike shop opportunities for consumers due to shop counts going down, and with consumer buying trends changing, the "D2C" model will likely be explored not only more intently by BikeExchange, but by the big bike brands in North America like Trek, Giant, Specialized, and Cannondale. That said, as pointed out earlier, less expensive, 'every-day' bike sales probably are not going this route anytime soon. 

Stem Geekery:

Late last month MG and I were texting back and forth and he showed me a stem he put on his fat bike which allowed him to get enough elevation to use drop bars. He said it 'revolutionized' his bike and made it relevant again for him. 

A stem that can give an old dog of a bike new life has to be pretty special, and the Dischord Chromo Peeper Stem from Analog Cycles is that stem. It is a handmade in the U.S.A. stem and it essentially is a threadless riser stem with a really short extension. 

The theory here is that shorter stems and slacker head angles are more stable. You probably have noted that for many years stem lengths have been getting shorter. Well, 'back in the day', as in the 19th Century, stems pretty much were just like this Dischord Chromo Peeper. Steering was typically done from behind the steering axis. We got away from that and went to the opposite extreme by the mid to late 20th century. Since then, stem length has been creeping ever shorter. You can read why that might be on Analog Cycles' site. 

I'm a believer in shorter stems. To a point...... I do not think you can just summarily go ultra-short on stem length on a bicycle designed to have longer stems on it. You have to research your geometry, fit, and handling preferences. Then with all of that you can make a considered choice in stem length that makes sense, and go as short as you'd like to within those parameters that you set. If you can't get there from where you are at in terms of stem length/height, it may be time for a change in bicycles. But that said....

I wanted to grab a stem for another bike off my Pofahl Signature 29"er back in 2019. I needed a 'place-holder' stem so the handle bar assembly wouldn't be dangling from the brake housings. I grabbed the stem I figured I would least likely want to use on anything else. It was a 60mm stem off another MTB. Okay, fast forward to 2020. I decided to give that stem a whirl, since- why not? And you know what? It was a more stable, more comfortable ride with that stem, which was 30-40mm shorter than anything I'd used before on that bike. Wow! 

My Pofahl Signature 29"er during 2020's Single Speed century ride with the shorter stem.

So, I like the idea of maybe going a bit shorter than I've considered going on stem length and that with drop bars. This Analog Cycles offering looks intriguing, but it is not a cheap experiment. At nearly 200 bucks, you have to be pretty committed to the idea. I've tried tall, short reach stems before on bikes designed for flat bars, (Cigne Stem on a Karate Monkey) but although I was pretty sold on it, I found it to be too much of a good thing in terms of height. So, I went back to a slightly lower height stem and sold that Cigne Stem. 

I'll have to do some careful measurements and a mock-up of a drop bar on my Snow Dog fat bike, but I am strongly considering this Dischord Chromo Peeper Stem for that bike. Stay tuned.....

Geoff Kabush Has Concerns About The Life Time Gran Prix Events:

Gravel racing hits the news again? Already? Didn't I just have three days worth of gab on the gravel scene this week? 

Yes. 

And I've a feeling that now that thousands of dollars in prize money is being waved in rider's faces that we'll be seeing a LOT more news about gravel racing. The latest stir is over how Life Time Fitness set up their six event series called the Gran Prix. Three gravel, three MTB events, bigger prize money, and only 60 athletes were chosen. Geoff Kabush tried getting in, but after he publicly outed Life Time on their selection process and gave them some "smarty-pants" answers to the selection committee, (Kabush said he was giving 'honest feedback'), the selection process was - not surprisingly- unsuccessful for him. So, that's number one here.

Now he has taken an opportunity to write up an opinion piece on the Cyclingtips website here. I read through his reasons for his concerns. My overall feeling is that his concerns are a bit misdirected and, ultimately, a moot point. Why? Because Life Time made the series up, created the rules, and put that all out there for whomever wanted to sign up. If you got selected as one of the "lucky" 60 athletes, well now you have agreed to those rules. It is Life Time's 'sand box'. If ya don't like the rules- don't sign up. No one is making these athletes do anything- or are they??? 

You see, if you pay attention, press releases are coming out now about athletes signing on with new teams and getting new endorsement deals since they have been selected as one of the 60 riders in the series. Hmm....which came first? The signing on with the team, or getting the plumb position on the Gran Prix roster? There are probably instances where it worked both ways, but the timing of some of these announcements is suspect in that manner. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that maybe some of these deals were predicated on the athlete getting in the Gran Prix.

But, however that may be, if Life Time made it clear that you were going to be a social media maven (slave?) for Life Time's Gran Prix when you signed up, well then- you should have known better if you didn't think that was really going to be a thing. Again- no one is making these folks do this series against their will.....that we are aware of anyway.

And Kabush brings up doping controls, because, as he rightly points out, the game gets changed when the money comes out. It is a known fact that cheating has occurred back when there wasn't money in the gravel scene, so, yeah- totally! People will dope to win these events. Why wouldn't they? Especially with no controls at all happening in gravel racing. This is why I have been saying that this whole corporate gravel scene is not going to go well. It may take several years, but the few that make up the niche group of upper echelon athletes participating in this nonsense will eventually go right down the same road that Pro MTB, Road, and other sports have gone. 

It's kind of ironic because these are the reasons the gravel scene got going. The gravel scene was a rejection of top level racing and those who felt they "had" to participate in it. It was a rejection of the focus on the few upper tier of participants at the expense of the masses. It was a rejection of all the rules and regulations that stifled the sport. And now? 

Wash, rinse, repeat.

That's a wrap for the first "FN&V" for 2022! Have a fantastic weekend and get outside!

The Green Monkey Era Begins

There she is! The Green Monkey.

I mentioned last week that I was going to "green up" my Karate Monkey and then I also mentioned that on Monday. The final piece to the puzzle arrived Tuesday and yesterday I got it all put together. The era of the Green Monkey begins now.

This has been a process that has been a long time in coming to this point. I feel pretty confident in saying now that "it is finished".

Again.

Let's hope this time I do not dismantle it and ruin what I had, like I did last time I had the Karate Monkey dialed to perfection. That said, this variation is actually a better one. There are a couple of reasons for that. One thing I should have done a long time ago and the other bit wasn't really a possibility until last year. Both things were critcal in making this version work and work better than before.

When I first got this Campstove Green Karate Monkey in 2003, I set it up with disc brakes, which at that time was a new technology for mountain biking. There was no way I was going to use cantilever brakes, even though they were a known quantity and the '03 Monkeys could accept them. Nope! Even though the cantilevers would be lighter, I wasn't going to do it. That led to frustrations.

I believe Homebrew Components is defunct now, but that is where I got these green anodized bits.

 Anytime I had to, or wanted to remove the rear wheel it was a half an hour ordeal. Loosen the caliper, move the chain tensioner, unbolt the axle, deal with the chain, then reverse the entire procedure when you wanted to reinstall the wheel. Good luck getting that brake caliper in the right spot! Especially out in the field. This time around, I went with rim brakes, and that takes away one step of the procedure. It has been a lot easier dealing with the rear wheel this way. I should have just bit the bullet and gone with some super cool linear pull brakes back then.

The other bit that made all the difference is the Velo Orange Cigne Stem. That has the On One Midge Bars right in the sweet spot. Before this stem, I could get close. I just had to put up with a bit of discomfort at times, but no more. This stem is exactly what I needed to run drop bars on the Karate Monkey.

Other than that, the last thing I needed to get to recreate the old "perfect" version of this bike was a longer crank. I used a 177.5mm Cook Brothers crankset on my original build. That accepts a 110 BCD type sprocket, and when I tried to remove the hidden fifth bolt and nut, it siezed up and I basically haven't gotten that separated ever since. So, I ended up selling a bike recently that had a 180mm White Industries crank set on it, which I kept. I just swapped that over with its green Homebrew Components 38T ring and also matched that with a 17 tooth cog from the same company. (I believe that company is no more, by the way.)

Yes- this is not the saddle I spoke of last Friday.

Finally, sharp eyed readers will notice that the Apple Green Brooks B-17 was not mentioned before, but I did say I had a green Brooks B-17 Special which had turned nearly black. Well, after last Friday's post went live, a regular reader here named Steven contacted me about the Apple Green Brooks he had and wanted to sell. He thought maybe I might like a truly green saddle better.

He was correct. So, a deal was struck and earlier this week the saddle arrived. I mounted it to my Ritchey post and took the Green Monkey for a spin. Everything felt perfect. It is one of those rare, happy bicycling moments when everything just falls to hand and you get that satisfying feeling. Well, I had that feeling and the Karate Monkey has not felt this good while riding since 2007. I am beyond happy with how it all turned out.

While there may be some adjustments, maybe a tire swap, or maybe newer wheels at some point, I don't see anything being changed out from this point forward. I am excited to get this out on gravel, and I know I can ride hours and hours on this thing now. It's gonna be good.

A short explanation about why this was torn apart back in the day now- Well, I have to credit this bike with getting me excited about 29"ers, and also about gravel road riding. I was riding this bike exclusively on gravel in the years 2006-2007. Then when I got entrenched in "Twenty Nine Inches.com", I had to pretty much forsake any gravel riding time for testing and reviewing mountain bike parts. Cue up the hours and hours spent at Camp Ingawanis, Ingawanis Woodlands, and Cedar Bend Park. Gravel was a rarity for me after '07.

So, the Monkey got pressed into commuter duties, but when after four years of Winter's muck and mire made the old UN series bottom bracket go "clunk", I found that the bottom bracket was seized up in the frame. This would have been around 2010. Then I didn't have the time nor gumption to get after that because I wouldn't be able to ride that bike much anyway.

But now things are different. No more mountain biking review duties, and all my focus is back again on gravel riding. Getting the Karate Monkey up and running again made sense now. So, there is your back story.

Now for some good times on the Green Monkey!

The Green Monkey Era Begins

There she is! The Green Monkey.

I mentioned last week that I was going to "green up" my Karate Monkey and then I also mentioned that on Monday. The final piece to the puzzle arrived Tuesday and yesterday I got it all put together. The era of the Green Monkey begins now.

This has been a process that has been a long time in coming to this point. I feel pretty confident in saying now that "it is finished".

Again.

Let's hope this time I do not dismantle it and ruin what I had, like I did last time I had the Karate Monkey dialed to perfection. That said, this variation is actually a better one. There are a couple of reasons for that. One thing I should have done a long time ago and the other bit wasn't really a possibility until last year. Both things were critcal in making this version work and work better than before.

When I first got this Campstove Green Karate Monkey in 2003, I set it up with disc brakes, which at that time was a new technology for mountain biking. There was no way I was going to use cantilever brakes, even though they were a known quantity and the '03 Monkeys could accept them. Nope! Even though the cantilevers would be lighter, I wasn't going to do it. That led to frustrations.

I believe Homebrew Components is defunct now, but that is where I got these green anodized bits.

 Anytime I had to, or wanted to remove the rear wheel it was a half an hour ordeal. Loosen the caliper, move the chain tensioner, unbolt the axle, deal with the chain, then reverse the entire procedure when you wanted to reinstall the wheel. Good luck getting that brake caliper in the right spot! Especially out in the field. This time around, I went with rim brakes, and that takes away one step of the procedure. It has been a lot easier dealing with the rear wheel this way. I should have just bit the bullet and gone with some super cool linear pull brakes back then.

The other bit that made all the difference is the Velo Orange Cigne Stem. That has the On One Midge Bars right in the sweet spot. Before this stem, I could get close. I just had to put up with a bit of discomfort at times, but no more. This stem is exactly what I needed to run drop bars on the Karate Monkey.

Other than that, the last thing I needed to get to recreate the old "perfect" version of this bike was a longer crank. I used a 177.5mm Cook Brothers crankset on my original build. That accepts a 110 BCD type sprocket, and when I tried to remove the hidden fifth bolt and nut, it siezed up and I basically haven't gotten that separated ever since. So, I ended up selling a bike recently that had a 180mm White Industries crank set on it, which I kept. I just swapped that over with its green Homebrew Components 38T ring and also matched that with a 17 tooth cog from the same company. (I believe that company is no more, by the way.)

Yes- this is not the saddle I spoke of last Friday.

Finally, sharp eyed readers will notice that the Apple Green Brooks B-17 was not mentioned before, but I did say I had a green Brooks B-17 Special which had turned nearly black. Well, after last Friday's post went live, a regular reader here named Steven contacted me about the Apple Green Brooks he had and wanted to sell. He thought maybe I might like a truly green saddle better.

He was correct. So, a deal was struck and earlier this week the saddle arrived. I mounted it to my Ritchey post and took the Green Monkey for a spin. Everything felt perfect. It is one of those rare, happy bicycling moments when everything just falls to hand and you get that satisfying feeling. Well, I had that feeling and the Karate Monkey has not felt this good while riding since 2007. I am beyond happy with how it all turned out.

While there may be some adjustments, maybe a tire swap, or maybe newer wheels at some point, I don't see anything being changed out from this point forward. I am excited to get this out on gravel, and I know I can ride hours and hours on this thing now. It's gonna be good.

A short explanation about why this was torn apart back in the day now- Well, I have to credit this bike with getting me excited about 29"ers, and also about gravel road riding. I was riding this bike exclusively on gravel in the years 2006-2007. Then when I got entrenched in "Twenty Nine Inches.com", I had to pretty much forsake any gravel riding time for testing and reviewing mountain bike parts. Cue up the hours and hours spent at Camp Ingawanis, Ingawanis Woodlands, and Cedar Bend Park. Gravel was a rarity for me after '07.

So, the Monkey got pressed into commuter duties, but when after four years of Winter's muck and mire made the old UN series bottom bracket go "clunk", I found that the bottom bracket was seized up in the frame. This would have been around 2010. Then I didn't have the time nor gumption to get after that because I wouldn't be able to ride that bike much anyway.

But now things are different. No more mountain biking review duties, and all my focus is back again on gravel riding. Getting the Karate Monkey up and running again made sense now. So, there is your back story.

Now for some good times on the Green Monkey!

Bikes Of 2016: Karate Monkey

2003 Karate Monkey with the Velo Orange Cigne stem

The old Karate Monkey. My first 29"er, and the bike I likely had my longest ride in one day on. That would have been the first Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational, which was 152 miles, but I rode to the start and back home again, a likely 14 mile addition, but it is "undocumented", so.......

Anyway, it is finally up and running again with the recent addition of a Velo Orange Cigne stem and the trusty Midge Bar. This bike hasn't seen a ton of riding in 2016, but it is possibly going to be my Winter gravel rig, and it already has seen some commuter duty.

There still are things that are going to get tweaked out. I have a different crank, chain ring, and rear cog that are going on this thing which will make it a bit more gravel road friendly. I have a Brooks saddle that will also be seeing duty on this bike. Eventually I will also be bringing over some Surly hubs in the limited edition "Jim Brown" ano color laced to new rims and I have a fresh set of WTB Nanoraptors to go on it when I get that far.

It is pretty much going to end up becoming a single speed gravel rig and a commuter bike. I always liked the bike in those roles best anyway.

Bikes Of 2016: Karate Monkey

2003 Karate Monkey with the Velo Orange Cigne stem

The old Karate Monkey. My first 29"er, and the bike I likely had my longest ride in one day on. That would have been the first Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational, which was 152 miles, but I rode to the start and back home again, a likely 14 mile addition, but it is "undocumented", so.......

Anyway, it is finally up and running again with the recent addition of a Velo Orange Cigne stem and the trusty Midge Bar. This bike hasn't seen a ton of riding in 2016, but it is possibly going to be my Winter gravel rig, and it already has seen some commuter duty.

There still are things that are going to get tweaked out. I have a different crank, chain ring, and rear cog that are going on this thing which will make it a bit more gravel road friendly. I have a Brooks saddle that will also be seeing duty on this bike. Eventually I will also be bringing over some Surly hubs in the limited edition "Jim Brown" ano color laced to new rims and I have a fresh set of WTB Nanoraptors to go on it when I get that far.

It is pretty much going to end up becoming a single speed gravel rig and a commuter bike. I always liked the bike in those roles best anyway.

Velo Orange Cigne Stem Review

My 2003 Karate Monkey with the Velo Orange Cigne Stem.

About two months ago now I bought a Velo Orange Cigne stem and stuck that on my 2003 Karate Monkey. The introductory post can be found HERE, so I won't go over a lot of that previously covered ground. Do hit that link to find out more about why this stem is important and what it does.

Right now I just want to give my overall impressions on this stem and whether or not I think it is something that should work for me in the long run. I have had plenty of time to tweak out the set up and I feel that now I have a pretty good idea of how this stem will work out for folks looking to convert a mountain bike to a drop bar set up.

First things first- I did end up swapping out the Origin 8 Gary Sweep Ergo OD Bars for the tried and true On One Midge Bars. At some point, I'll get to why that happened, but for now I am sticking to the stem. The saddle and seat post were also swapped out. With these significant changes the set up worked 100 times better. I bring this up because, as I have always thought, a bicycle is a "system" and one part change can often affect how a rider perceives other parts. The stem seems even better now than it did at first.

As far as how it works, the Cigne stem seems solid and I do not see any slippage or flex issues with the design at all. Actually, I find that somewhat amazing, given the leverage you can exert on handle bars when pushing out of the saddle, or when you are popping the front wheel up and over obstacles. The biggest benefit of this bar is how it positions the handle bar on a bike meant for a flat bar and "normal" stem. The bars end up being high enough by a long shot and definitely not too far out in terms of reach.

Conclusions: This stem is perfect for many retrofits of drop bars to mountain bikes. However; there is one type of hard tail I think this stem won't help, and that is any modern day, long front/center, slack angled hard tail. Any bike designed with this "modern trail geometry" and is meant for a stubby stem will be a difficult fit for a drop bar since even with a brilliant stem like the Cigne, the combination of reach with the stem and any drop bar will likely end up being too great for the best performance and intended handling traits.

If, however, you are working on something that was equipped with a 100mm or longer stem anyway, the Cigne Stem will benefit your drop bar conversion greatly. The rise will account for a shorter head tube and the minimal reach will allow for the reach on a drop bar to combine to be something usable and complimentary to the intended design. If you have an El Mariachi, as a for instance, you could get your Fargo type set up using this Cigne Stem. In my case, the Karate Monkey works well with this stem and handle bar conversion. Better than any other drop bar set up I have tried on this bike, and I've tried a lot of different set ups with this bike.

The stem seems to be stout enough and I don't find that it flexes in a way that is a detriment to the bike or the handling off road. So, I think it will be a keeper for my intentions and uses. Most folks should find it to be sturdy, but I probably wouldn't be putting it on a modern day hard tail or full suspension rig meant for a stubby stem. Wrong application, wrong fit. In my opinion, that isn't what this stem is for. It may also be a great choice for those with road or gravel bikes that want a tall handlebar set up without going to a stem extension.

NOTE- I bought the Velo Orange Cigne stem with my own damn money and was not paid nor bribed for this review. All statements are my own and may not reflect the opinions of Grant Petersen, Velo Orange, or anybody else on this planet. So there.

Velo Orange Cigne Stem Review

My 2003 Karate Monkey with the Velo Orange Cigne Stem.

About two months ago now I bought a Velo Orange Cigne stem and stuck that on my 2003 Karate Monkey. The introductory post can be found HERE, so I won't go over a lot of that previously covered ground. Do hit that link to find out more about why this stem is important and what it does.

Right now I just want to give my overall impressions on this stem and whether or not I think it is something that should work for me in the long run. I have had plenty of time to tweak out the set up and I feel that now I have a pretty good idea of how this stem will work out for folks looking to convert a mountain bike to a drop bar set up.

First things first- I did end up swapping out the Origin 8 Gary Sweep Ergo OD Bars for the tried and true On One Midge Bars. At some point, I'll get to why that happened, but for now I am sticking to the stem. The saddle and seat post were also swapped out. With these significant changes the set up worked 100 times better. I bring this up because, as I have always thought, a bicycle is a "system" and one part change can often affect how a rider perceives other parts. The stem seems even better now than it did at first.

As far as how it works, the Cigne stem seems solid and I do not see any slippage or flex issues with the design at all. Actually, I find that somewhat amazing, given the leverage you can exert on handle bars when pushing out of the saddle, or when you are popping the front wheel up and over obstacles. The biggest benefit of this bar is how it positions the handle bar on a bike meant for a flat bar and "normal" stem. The bars end up being high enough by a long shot and definitely not too far out in terms of reach.

Conclusions: This stem is perfect for many retrofits of drop bars to mountain bikes. However; there is one type of hard tail I think this stem won't help, and that is any modern day, long front/center, slack angled hard tail. Any bike designed with this "modern trail geometry" and is meant for a stubby stem will be a difficult fit for a drop bar since even with a brilliant stem like the Cigne, the combination of reach with the stem and any drop bar will likely end up being too great for the best performance and intended handling traits.

If, however, you are working on something that was equipped with a 100mm or longer stem anyway, the Cigne Stem will benefit your drop bar conversion greatly. The rise will account for a shorter head tube and the minimal reach will allow for the reach on a drop bar to combine to be something usable and complimentary to the intended design. If you have an El Mariachi, as a for instance, you could get your Fargo type set up using this Cigne Stem. In my case, the Karate Monkey works well with this stem and handle bar conversion. Better than any other drop bar set up I have tried on this bike, and I've tried a lot of different set ups with this bike.

The stem seems to be stout enough and I don't find that it flexes in a way that is a detriment to the bike or the handling off road. So, I think it will be a keeper for my intentions and uses. Most folks should find it to be sturdy, but I probably wouldn't be putting it on a modern day hard tail or full suspension rig meant for a stubby stem. Wrong application, wrong fit. In my opinion, that isn't what this stem is for. It may also be a great choice for those with road or gravel bikes that want a tall handlebar set up without going to a stem extension.

NOTE- I bought the Velo Orange Cigne stem with my own damn money and was not paid nor bribed for this review. All statements are my own and may not reflect the opinions of Grant Petersen, Velo Orange, or anybody else on this planet. So there.

The Monkey Decade: Close- Very Close

There are some details to work through, but this is close to done.

Many of you regular readers are familiar with my 2003 Karate Monkey and the old thread I did on this bike starting back in 2013 which I dubbed "The Monkey Decade". That kind of drug on, and on, and on due to a stuck bottom bracket which I finally, with the help of the shop mates I have, got unstuck this past Spring.

Since then I have been, on occasion, fiddling with the fit by changing out some parts here and there. All the while trying to recreate the feel I had with this bike when I last had it dialed in back in 2007-2008. Have you ever had a bicycle you had so tweaked out that you could call it "nearly perfect"? This Karate Monkey was that bicycle for me. Then I went and started changing up stuff.

I was an idiot.

Well, of course, things changed with parts and what not until I got to a place where I just figured this bicycle would never be "that bicycle" again. Besides, I had other bicycles based off the old set up which were arguably better in some facets that mattered. Well......to me they mattered. Then I saw that Velo Orange Cigne stem and that gave me some hope that this part might get me close to "that bicycle" once again. And you know what?

I think it has done just that.

The Cigne Stem puts the drop bars right where they always should have been on this bike.

Now I have hope that with a few other key changes in componentry, I not only will have "that bicycle" back again, but that it will actually surpass that set up of old to reach a new level. The stem is the key. It puts those drops right in the pocket. I like the height of the drop section and the reach is dead on. That never quite was the case with the old Monkey set up with Midge Bars and a rise stem.

These drop bars are like the Velo Orange Dajia Far Bars but are actually Gary Ergo Sweep OS Bars from Origin 8. They are interchangeable as far as design, being the same thing. Anyway, I will reserve judgement until I get some longer rides in. So far they seem a lot like what their Origin 8 name implies, an ergo bend road bar in the drops, which I am not a huge fan of, but they are okay.

Like I say, there will be changes. A 180mm crank set with a bigger ring, a different cog on the back wheel, and the red will give way to green. But this is close to being done.

Very close!

The Monkey Decade: Close- Very Close

There are some details to work through, but this is close to done.

Many of you regular readers are familiar with my 2003 Karate Monkey and the old thread I did on this bike starting back in 2013 which I dubbed "The Monkey Decade". That kind of drug on, and on, and on due to a stuck bottom bracket which I finally, with the help of the shop mates I have, got unstuck this past Spring.

Since then I have been, on occasion, fiddling with the fit by changing out some parts here and there. All the while trying to recreate the feel I had with this bike when I last had it dialed in back in 2007-2008. Have you ever had a bicycle you had so tweaked out that you could call it "nearly perfect"? This Karate Monkey was that bicycle for me. Then I went and started changing up stuff.

I was an idiot.

Well, of course, things changed with parts and what not until I got to a place where I just figured this bicycle would never be "that bicycle" again. Besides, I had other bicycles based off the old set up which were arguably better in some facets that mattered. Well......to me they mattered. Then I saw that Velo Orange Cigne stem and that gave me some hope that this part might get me close to "that bicycle" once again. And you know what?

I think it has done just that.

The Cigne Stem puts the drop bars right where they always should have been on this bike.

Now I have hope that with a few other key changes in componentry, I not only will have "that bicycle" back again, but that it will actually surpass that set up of old to reach a new level. The stem is the key. It puts those drops right in the pocket. I like the height of the drop section and the reach is dead on. That never quite was the case with the old Monkey set up with Midge Bars and a rise stem.

These drop bars are like the Velo Orange Dajia Far Bars but are actually Gary Ergo Sweep OS Bars from Origin 8. They are interchangeable as far as design, being the same thing. Anyway, I will reserve judgement until I get some longer rides in. So far they seem a lot like what their Origin 8 name implies, an ergo bend road bar in the drops, which I am not a huge fan of, but they are okay.

Like I say, there will be changes. A 180mm crank set with a bigger ring, a different cog on the back wheel, and the red will give way to green. But this is close to being done.

Very close!

Velo Orange Cigne Stem Overview

The Velo Orange "Cigne" stem is an "LD" type stem for drop bar mtb's

Background: In the weird world of off road drop bars, one of the main issues is getting the drops up in the air high enough that the drop position becomes your primary hand position. Let's face it, there are not many hard tail mountain bikes that were ever designed around such an idea, so typically you will find yourself retrofitting drops to a flat bar hard tail mtb. When you try to do this, you will find yourself fighting against two big hurdles that are hard to clear.

The first of these two hurdles is that the reach, or in old mountain biker's parlance, the effective top tube length, is going to be a bit too long for a drop bar. Why? because unlike flat bars, a drop bar adds to the overall reach of the cockpit. The "reach" of the drops adds to the effective top tube length, so stem length is critical to a successful drop bar conversion on an old mountain bike. The stem reach needs to be very short, typically.

The second hurdle is that the head tube lengths on most mountain bikes are relatively short compared to those bikes designed for drop bars. Why? Because drop bars have depth while flat bars are on a single plane. To make the drop section useful in almost every case, you need a stem with a steep rise. Those are typically very hard to find in short reach dimensions. It's either that or you get a frame designed around drop bars which will typically have a longer head tube to alleviate that issue. See the Salsa Fargo and El Mariachi models for a perfect example of what I mean here.

Back in the 1980's, builders of mountain bikes used a stem design that was most often associated with Potts, Ibis, and Cunningham bikes to get around the two hurdles I mention above. Known as the "LD" type stem by many, it is a simple and elegant way to get around the longer top tubes and shorter head tubes of mountain bikes when drop bars are desired. The trouble was that these custom builders either became something else, died out, or stopped producing these types of stems over the ensuing years till now. The only way to get such a stem was to contract a custom builder that was amenable to the idea of making stems to make you one, which is obviously very expensive. So, most riders just "make do" with whatever stems they can get.

My Karate Monkey with a Dimension riser stem in the shortest reach and highest rise available. 

Above you can see what I mean about "making do". This is my '03 Karate Monkey with a Origin 8 "Gary Ergo Sweep OS Bar" (Velo Orange has the identical bar as the Daija Far Bar) and I am using the Dimension stem in the highest rise and shortest reach possible. Without adding a stack-o-spacers on a longer steer tube, (which is impossible since I cut that fork in '03), this is the best possible set up I could get. Well, other than a custom stem. Anyway, the drop section is a bit too low for my liking, and as you can see, the tops are about at the same level as the saddle. I also wasn't keen on the reach, which was a bit too long for my tastes.

A quick mock up using the Cigne stem. Now that is a big difference!

Above here you can see my quick mock up using the Velo Orange Grand Cru Cigne Stem. Sheesh folks! Do we really need such long names?!! Maybe we could have called it the "Tom" stem, or the "Nancy" stem and made it simpler. Anyway......

Fancy pants long name aside, this stem radicalizes my set up. Check out the reach, which is 70mm for the stem. You can get an 80mm reach Cigne stem too, but I went for the shortest option here. Obviously, the height is there as well. Check out how much higher the drop section is. Totally usable now as opposed to marginally usable before.

You can check out all the technical mumbo-jumbo here if you want to, but the bottom line is that now one can get a tested, well designed, good looking stem for converting a mtb to drop bar use. This stem will make many more set ups far more versatile and workable than before at a reasonable cost. You could also probably use this stem to raise a road bike's handle bar to more comfortable levels as well, ala Grant Petersen's preferred handle bar height and other sundry rules.

I will do a more ride performance oriented review of sorts after I get this set up squared away with longer cables and housings. Until then, this should give you a better idea how a good, proper drop stem can make drop bars work better on a hard tail mtb designed around flat bars. The Cigne stem comes in black as shown, silver, or a special nickle finish. You can get Velo Orange components from your local bike shop.

NOTE- I bought the Velo Orange Cigne stem with my own damn money and was not paid nor bribed for this review. All statements are my own and may not reflect the opinions of Grant Petersen, Velo Orange, or anybody else on this planet. So there.

Velo Orange Cigne Stem Overview

The Velo Orange "Cigne" stem is an "LD" type stem for drop bar mtb's

Background: In the weird world of off road drop bars, one of the main issues is getting the drops up in the air high enough that the drop position becomes your primary hand position. Let's face it, there are not many hard tail mountain bikes that were ever designed around such an idea, so typically you will find yourself retrofitting drops to a flat bar hard tail mtb. When you try to do this, you will find yourself fighting against two big hurdles that are hard to clear.

The first of these two hurdles is that the reach, or in old mountain biker's parlance, the effective top tube length, is going to be a bit too long for a drop bar. Why? because unlike flat bars, a drop bar adds to the overall reach of the cockpit. The "reach" of the drops adds to the effective top tube length, so stem length is critical to a successful drop bar conversion on an old mountain bike. The stem reach needs to be very short, typically.

The second hurdle is that the head tube lengths on most mountain bikes are relatively short compared to those bikes designed for drop bars. Why? Because drop bars have depth while flat bars are on a single plane. To make the drop section useful in almost every case, you need a stem with a steep rise. Those are typically very hard to find in short reach dimensions. It's either that or you get a frame designed around drop bars which will typically have a longer head tube to alleviate that issue. See the Salsa Fargo and El Mariachi models for a perfect example of what I mean here.

Back in the 1980's, builders of mountain bikes used a stem design that was most often associated with Potts, Ibis, and Cunningham bikes to get around the two hurdles I mention above. Known as the "LD" type stem by many, it is a simple and elegant way to get around the longer top tubes and shorter head tubes of mountain bikes when drop bars are desired. The trouble was that these custom builders either became something else, died out, or stopped producing these types of stems over the ensuing years till now. The only way to get such a stem was to contract a custom builder that was amenable to the idea of making stems to make you one, which is obviously very expensive. So, most riders just "make do" with whatever stems they can get.

My Karate Monkey with a Dimension riser stem in the shortest reach and highest rise available. 

Above you can see what I mean about "making do". This is my '03 Karate Monkey with a Origin 8 "Gary Ergo Sweep OS Bar" (Velo Orange has the identical bar as the Daija Far Bar) and I am using the Dimension stem in the highest rise and shortest reach possible. Without adding a stack-o-spacers on a longer steer tube, (which is impossible since I cut that fork in '03), this is the best possible set up I could get. Well, other than a custom stem. Anyway, the drop section is a bit too low for my liking, and as you can see, the tops are about at the same level as the saddle. I also wasn't keen on the reach, which was a bit too long for my tastes.

A quick mock up using the Cigne stem. Now that is a big difference!

Above here you can see my quick mock up using the Velo Orange Grand Cru Cigne Stem. Sheesh folks! Do we really need such long names?!! Maybe we could have called it the "Tom" stem, or the "Nancy" stem and made it simpler. Anyway......

Fancy pants long name aside, this stem radicalizes my set up. Check out the reach, which is 70mm for the stem. You can get an 80mm reach Cigne stem too, but I went for the shortest option here. Obviously, the height is there as well. Check out how much higher the drop section is. Totally usable now as opposed to marginally usable before.

You can check out all the technical mumbo-jumbo here if you want to, but the bottom line is that now one can get a tested, well designed, good looking stem for converting a mtb to drop bar use. This stem will make many more set ups far more versatile and workable than before at a reasonable cost. You could also probably use this stem to raise a road bike's handle bar to more comfortable levels as well, ala Grant Petersen's preferred handle bar height and other sundry rules.

I will do a more ride performance oriented review of sorts after I get this set up squared away with longer cables and housings. Until then, this should give you a better idea how a good, proper drop stem can make drop bars work better on a hard tail mtb designed around flat bars. The Cigne stem comes in black as shown, silver, or a special nickle finish. You can get Velo Orange components from your local bike shop.

NOTE- I bought the Velo Orange Cigne stem with my own damn money and was not paid nor bribed for this review. All statements are my own and may not reflect the opinions of Grant Petersen, Velo Orange, or anybody else on this planet. So there.