Friday News And Views

The people of Cedar Valley Trails.org

Playing Teacher: When I was a younginz way back when, I thought I might become a teacher someday. Nothing ever became of that thought, well.......until now a days. Ever since coming to work at the shop where I am now, I have taught mechanics classes from time to time. It seems that lately I've had a small run going on them.

Last night it was the Cedar Valley Trails.org. They were having their monthly meeting and wanted a refresher course on trail side maintenance and repair. Last weekend was a full on mechanics class at the shop, and tomorrow I have another. I may get tapped to do a basic maintenance class with a couple other guys as well. Then the teaching will have to take a back seat to work, since we're supposed to swing into Spring around here next week. I tell ya what- I am ready. This Winter has been weird and the ultra-cold right at the very end really hurt.

Speaking of "hurt", I did just that to some of my digits riding to work Thursday in the sub-zero wind chill. Some of my fingers were really on the verge of frostbite by the time I got to work. I should have used the pogies........

RidingGravel.com Stickers:

My partner Ben at RidingGravel.com shot over this image of a sticker we are thinking we'll have soon.  They'll be high quality vinyl 4.25in x 1.38in and will be $1 plus postage. Not sure if I'll have any locally for pick up, but I bet I will, or could. Interested? Let me know. Just something fun to show your love for riding gravel.

Transformer mode: Soon.

 Okay, Let's Try This Again:

Last year I built up a set of 29+ wheels and slapped some Surly 29 X 3.0" Knards on there which all ended up on my titanium Mukluk. Dubbed the "Muktruk" by Mke Johnson, who did the same thing with his titanium Mukluk, I tried the concept out for several months before deciding that it wasn't right for me. The wheels jacked up the bottom bracket and I thought the feel of those wheels wasn't very fun on that frame/fork.

I decided to sell the wheels, and I did just that. This doesn't mean I don't like the idea though, because I do. The Borealis Echo I tested last Summer showed me that much. That bike was lower to the ground, lighter, and slacker. It all added up to a ton of fun.

So now I have the Blackborow. It was designed around the largest tires on the widest rims that are available now. That puts the overall wheel diameter really close to 29+. Close enough that I won't be changing the geometry on the Blackborow at all if I decide to put on 29+ wheels. The Blackborow has a slacker front end, shorter rear end, and lower stand over height than my Mukluk does. It should, theoretically, rip with 29+ wheels. And I will be finding out if it works in truth.

Stay tuned for a mighty transformation to the Blackborow, coming soon. Summertime looks like it may be a fun one around here.

Friday News And Views

The people of Cedar Valley Trails.org

Playing Teacher: When I was a younginz way back when, I thought I might become a teacher someday. Nothing ever became of that thought, well.......until now a days. Ever since coming to work at the shop where I am now, I have taught mechanics classes from time to time. It seems that lately I've had a small run going on them.

Last night it was the Cedar Valley Trails.org. They were having their monthly meeting and wanted a refresher course on trail side maintenance and repair. Last weekend was a full on mechanics class at the shop, and tomorrow I have another. I may get tapped to do a basic maintenance class with a couple other guys as well. Then the teaching will have to take a back seat to work, since we're supposed to swing into Spring around here next week. I tell ya what- I am ready. This Winter has been weird and the ultra-cold right at the very end really hurt.

Speaking of "hurt", I did just that to some of my digits riding to work Thursday in the sub-zero wind chill. Some of my fingers were really on the verge of frostbite by the time I got to work. I should have used the pogies........

RidingGravel.com Stickers:

My partner Ben at RidingGravel.com shot over this image of a sticker we are thinking we'll have soon.  They'll be high quality vinyl 4.25in x 1.38in and will be $1 plus postage. Not sure if I'll have any locally for pick up, but I bet I will, or could. Interested? Let me know. Just something fun to show your love for riding gravel.

Transformer mode: Soon.

 Okay, Let's Try This Again:

Last year I built up a set of 29+ wheels and slapped some Surly 29 X 3.0" Knards on there which all ended up on my titanium Mukluk. Dubbed the "Muktruk" by Mke Johnson, who did the same thing with his titanium Mukluk, I tried the concept out for several months before deciding that it wasn't right for me. The wheels jacked up the bottom bracket and I thought the feel of those wheels wasn't very fun on that frame/fork.

I decided to sell the wheels, and I did just that. This doesn't mean I don't like the idea though, because I do. The Borealis Echo I tested last Summer showed me that much. That bike was lower to the ground, lighter, and slacker. It all added up to a ton of fun.

So now I have the Blackborow. It was designed around the largest tires on the widest rims that are available now. That puts the overall wheel diameter really close to 29+. Close enough that I won't be changing the geometry on the Blackborow at all if I decide to put on 29+ wheels. The Blackborow has a slacker front end, shorter rear end, and lower stand over height than my Mukluk does. It should, theoretically, rip with 29+ wheels. And I will be finding out if it works in truth.

Stay tuned for a mighty transformation to the Blackborow, coming soon. Summertime looks like it may be a fun one around here.

Pivot LES Fat: One Bike To Rule Them All?

The new Pivot Cycles "LES Fat" hard tail Image courtesy of Pivot

Last year I rode a bicycle that really opened up my eyes. It was a Borealis Echo set up not as a fat bike, but as a 29+ bike and it had a Rock Shox Bluto fork with that same company's excellent dropper post.

Their weren't too many bikes I wanted to keep as a test rider for Twenty Nine Inches, but the Echo, so equipped, was one. I had it up at the Volga Recreation Area, a place where there are big hills, challenging climbs, lots of sand, and chunky rocks here and there. In short, it has every tough feature a Mid-Western trail might have.

The Echo slayed the place, and with the 1X11 drive train and 3 inch wide rubber, it was a hoot to ride. It made me want to ride there all day, and then go find harder places to ride, because it was so capable, like a fat bike, but it was light and nimble, like a carbon hard tail. So... Well, here we have the next evolution of such an idea. Perhaps a "one bike solution" for many people.

The Pivot Cycles LES Fat is a fat bike, of course, but there are several details, and one big important one, that set this apart from many in the crowd. First of all, Pivot designed this to be different from most fat bikes because they wanted it to work with 26" X 4", 26" X 5", 27.5" X 3+", and 29+ wheel sizes. To do this, Pivot realized that 26 X 4 and "Mid-Fat" wheels have about the same wheel diameter, but 26" X 5" and 29+, which are very similar in wheel diameter to each other, are bigger wheels than the first two mentioned. Yes- by a significant amount. Regular fat bike sized wheels and "Mid-Fat" based on 27.5" has a slightly smaller than 29" diameter, while the other two measure out at slightly more than 31" in diameter. Big difference, and this causes handling and ergonomic issues.

Image courtesy of Pivot. (Red arrows are my addition!)

To allow for a swap of wheels and to keep the geometry mostly the same in all configurations, Pivot designed a special "lower cup" which can be removed to accommodate longer axle to crown measurements and not "jack up" your geometry. (Pun intended- See the image at the right for a visual)

This means that when you use a Bluto fork, and account for sag, you have removed the lower cup and you can retain the same front end angles, bottom  bracket height, and seat tube angle as you had while running rigid. 29+, 5" width tires, and Bluto forks would all be used without the lower cup. Mid-fat and "normal" sized 3.8"-4.0" fat bike rubber in rigid mode would stay with the lower cup in the head tube. Bottom bracket height can be further controlled by the swinger drop outs which go back and up to accommodate a taller back wheel.

 Those same swinging rear drop outs will allow for single speed set ups, or for tweaking the wheel base. Pivot's ported internal routing is cool, and a "stealth route" for a dropper post is also designed into this frame. Finally, an axle standard I thought might prove to become the new "standard" is seen here- 197mm X 12mm through axle rear and 150mm X 15mm through axle front is on this bike. The front wheel will swap straight into a Bluto fork. Nice.

An intriguing detail on the new LES Fat is the e-13 co-designed with Pivot fat bike crank which is said to work with 5" wide tires but still have a "tread width" or "Q Factor" which is  closer to a rear 170mmOLD hub. Pivot says it works for better ergonomic feeling especially in regard to knees and hips. However; they also claim a good chain line with a 5" tire and an ability to run a double front chain ring set up. That I'd have to see.

So, could something like this be your Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall rig? Could the addition of a Bluto fork extend the range of this bike such that you'd never want a full suspension device? Could it be a fat bike, a "Mid-fat" bike, and a 29+ rig so you'd never want another weirdo hard tail? Maybe. The wider bottom bracket is still going to freak out many folks. (Physically and mentally) So there is that big hurdle. Oh yeah.........and the Pivot LESS Fat is expensive! There is that too. But if you can swing the dough, there isn't a bike out there with cooler details that is this versatile. I bet I'd get on with it just fine.

Pivot LES Fat: One Bike To Rule Them All?

The new Pivot Cycles "LES Fat" hard tail Image courtesy of Pivot

Last year I rode a bicycle that really opened up my eyes. It was a Borealis Echo set up not as a fat bike, but as a 29+ bike and it had a Rock Shox Bluto fork with that same company's excellent dropper post.

Their weren't too many bikes I wanted to keep as a test rider for Twenty Nine Inches, but the Echo, so equipped, was one. I had it up at the Volga Recreation Area, a place where there are big hills, challenging climbs, lots of sand, and chunky rocks here and there. In short, it has every tough feature a Mid-Western trail might have.

The Echo slayed the place, and with the 1X11 drive train and 3 inch wide rubber, it was a hoot to ride. It made me want to ride there all day, and then go find harder places to ride, because it was so capable, like a fat bike, but it was light and nimble, like a carbon hard tail. So... Well, here we have the next evolution of such an idea. Perhaps a "one bike solution" for many people.

The Pivot Cycles LES Fat is a fat bike, of course, but there are several details, and one big important one, that set this apart from many in the crowd. First of all, Pivot designed this to be different from most fat bikes because they wanted it to work with 26" X 4", 26" X 5", 27.5" X 3+", and 29+ wheel sizes. To do this, Pivot realized that 26 X 4 and "Mid-Fat" wheels have about the same wheel diameter, but 26" X 5" and 29+, which are very similar in wheel diameter to each other, are bigger wheels than the first two mentioned. Yes- by a significant amount. Regular fat bike sized wheels and "Mid-Fat" based on 27.5" has a slightly smaller than 29" diameter, while the other two measure out at slightly more than 31" in diameter. Big difference, and this causes handling and ergonomic issues.

Image courtesy of Pivot. (Red arrows are my addition!)

To allow for a swap of wheels and to keep the geometry mostly the same in all configurations, Pivot designed a special "lower cup" which can be removed to accommodate longer axle to crown measurements and not "jack up" your geometry. (Pun intended- See the image at the right for a visual)

This means that when you use a Bluto fork, and account for sag, you have removed the lower cup and you can retain the same front end angles, bottom  bracket height, and seat tube angle as you had while running rigid. 29+, 5" width tires, and Bluto forks would all be used without the lower cup. Mid-fat and "normal" sized 3.8"-4.0" fat bike rubber in rigid mode would stay with the lower cup in the head tube. Bottom bracket height can be further controlled by the swinger drop outs which go back and up to accommodate a taller back wheel.

 Those same swinging rear drop outs will allow for single speed set ups, or for tweaking the wheel base. Pivot's ported internal routing is cool, and a "stealth route" for a dropper post is also designed into this frame. Finally, an axle standard I thought might prove to become the new "standard" is seen here- 197mm X 12mm through axle rear and 150mm X 15mm through axle front is on this bike. The front wheel will swap straight into a Bluto fork. Nice.

An intriguing detail on the new LES Fat is the e-13 co-designed with Pivot fat bike crank which is said to work with 5" wide tires but still have a "tread width" or "Q Factor" which is  closer to a rear 170mmOLD hub. Pivot says it works for better ergonomic feeling especially in regard to knees and hips. However; they also claim a good chain line with a 5" tire and an ability to run a double front chain ring set up. That I'd have to see.

So, could something like this be your Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall rig? Could the addition of a Bluto fork extend the range of this bike such that you'd never want a full suspension device? Could it be a fat bike, a "Mid-fat" bike, and a 29+ rig so you'd never want another weirdo hard tail? Maybe. The wider bottom bracket is still going to freak out many folks. (Physically and mentally) So there is that big hurdle. Oh yeah.........and the Pivot LESS Fat is expensive! There is that too. But if you can swing the dough, there isn't a bike out there with cooler details that is this versatile. I bet I'd get on with it just fine.

Friday News And Views

Image by Wally Kilburg

I was cruising through the archives here and checking out the scene as it was almost ten years ago. First of all......dang! Things have really changed! The whole reason for the nostalgia trip was instigated by a comment I saw posted on one of the social media sites by a fellow that used to go by the name of "Endurosnob". Ironically enough, he was posting about a race he did in 2007. It was a 24 hour race, and he made a comment about endurance 24 hour racing in the following way: "...back when it was a thing."

You know what? That struck me in an odd way. It was a thing, wasn't it? I mean, back in '05, Jeff Kerkove, who worked with me, was going to Japan to ride in a 24 hour event, was winning the 24hrs of Boone, and was banned from 24 hour worlds for saying the fees for solo riders was too high. The whole scene was percolating and was very fresh then. But now......

You just don't hear a whole lot about 24 hour solo racing anymore. Not here in the U.S., at any rate. Of course, it still happens, and there are 24 hour worlds, but the buzz, the popularity of it all. Well, it just isn't a thing anymore, to paraphrase the earlier quip. It makes me wonder about gravel/back road events. In ten years, will we even be thinking about those sorts of events? Will there be thousands of riders at Dirty Kanza anymore? Will Barry-Roubaix be a memory?

Things change, for sure, but I think the 24 hour racing scene changed, and ultimately faded here, due to the bloated, overproduced, expensive beast it became. The events were so convoluted and difficult to put on that they were run by production companies. The "show" became the event format's undoing, in my opinion. If gravel/backroad events go this same route, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see that the same thing that happened to gravel rides.

2015 Salsa Titanium Mukluk

Carbon or Metal?

You know, another subject that is a thing now is carbon fiber fat bike frames. Well, let's be honest- anything that they can make in carbon fiber for bicycles is a thing now. Right?

I like carbon fiber bits, and I own and use a few components made from it. However; I am a bit torn as to whether this is a good idea for a fat bike. I did get to test a Borealis Echo, (with 29+ wheels), and it was really one of the best mountain bikes I have ridden. I don't doubt that as a fat bike it would also rule. However; I just am a bit leery of its durability. I mean, I could quite literally go much faster and traverse more rough terrain on that Echo, but what happens when gravity has its way with you? Hmm.......

Titanium and aluminum, well they can be dented and broken when they are made into bicycle frames. Definitely, but little crashes, or heck....even bigger crashes, well they seem to be a bit more resilient. And then there are times when you just wonder: When is that spindly, thin seat stay just going to snap? Maybe I am just paranoid, eh?

Geezer Ride:

Tomorrow the Geezer Ride happens. I hear that there are a few folks coming, and even a couple on fat bikes. The weather, while cool, looks to be completely dry and the roads should be perfect.

I do not know exactly how many folks will actually show up, but it should prove to be a fun ride and I hope all who do come will enjoy themselves going up, down, and over some (hopefully) beautiful Fall roads in Iowa.

Of course, you can expect a full report later, but until then, you should all get out there and find your own adventure on whatever bicycle you choose. Have some fun, stay safe, and look for the story of the Geezer Ride on Monday.......

Friday News And Views

Image by Wally Kilburg

I was cruising through the archives here and checking out the scene as it was almost ten years ago. First of all......dang! Things have really changed! The whole reason for the nostalgia trip was instigated by a comment I saw posted on one of the social media sites by a fellow that used to go by the name of "Endurosnob". Ironically enough, he was posting about a race he did in 2007. It was a 24 hour race, and he made a comment about endurance 24 hour racing in the following way: "...back when it was a thing."

You know what? That struck me in an odd way. It was a thing, wasn't it? I mean, back in '05, Jeff Kerkove, who worked with me, was going to Japan to ride in a 24 hour event, was winning the 24hrs of Boone, and was banned from 24 hour worlds for saying the fees for solo riders was too high. The whole scene was percolating and was very fresh then. But now......

You just don't hear a whole lot about 24 hour solo racing anymore. Not here in the U.S., at any rate. Of course, it still happens, and there are 24 hour worlds, but the buzz, the popularity of it all. Well, it just isn't a thing anymore, to paraphrase the earlier quip. It makes me wonder about gravel/back road events. In ten years, will we even be thinking about those sorts of events? Will there be thousands of riders at Dirty Kanza anymore? Will Barry-Roubaix be a memory?

Things change, for sure, but I think the 24 hour racing scene changed, and ultimately faded here, due to the bloated, overproduced, expensive beast it became. The events were so convoluted and difficult to put on that they were run by production companies. The "show" became the event format's undoing, in my opinion. If gravel/backroad events go this same route, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see that the same thing that happened to gravel rides.

2015 Salsa Titanium Mukluk

Carbon or Metal?

You know, another subject that is a thing now is carbon fiber fat bike frames. Well, let's be honest- anything that they can make in carbon fiber for bicycles is a thing now. Right?

I like carbon fiber bits, and I own and use a few components made from it. However; I am a bit torn as to whether this is a good idea for a fat bike. I did get to test a Borealis Echo, (with 29+ wheels), and it was really one of the best mountain bikes I have ridden. I don't doubt that as a fat bike it would also rule. However; I just am a bit leery of its durability. I mean, I could quite literally go much faster and traverse more rough terrain on that Echo, but what happens when gravity has its way with you? Hmm.......

Titanium and aluminum, well they can be dented and broken when they are made into bicycle frames. Definitely, but little crashes, or heck....even bigger crashes, well they seem to be a bit more resilient. And then there are times when you just wonder: When is that spindly, thin seat stay just going to snap? Maybe I am just paranoid, eh?

Geezer Ride:

Tomorrow the Geezer Ride happens. I hear that there are a few folks coming, and even a couple on fat bikes. The weather, while cool, looks to be completely dry and the roads should be perfect.

I do not know exactly how many folks will actually show up, but it should prove to be a fun ride and I hope all who do come will enjoy themselves going up, down, and over some (hopefully) beautiful Fall roads in Iowa.

Of course, you can expect a full report later, but until then, you should all get out there and find your own adventure on whatever bicycle you choose. Have some fun, stay safe, and look for the story of the Geezer Ride on Monday.......

Skeeters And Flowers

Just about succumbed to a Skeeter attack here!

Last chance for gas with the Borealis before it has to go back to Colorado, so off to Ingawanis Woods I went. It was a gloriously cool, drier day compared to Tuesday which was a typically beastly, humid, hot Summer day. I was really happy that Wednesday was much better.

When I reached the last road to the woods, I spied a 40 acre field of wild flowers and prairie grasses that I thought might make for a good image or two. Filed away in the back of my mind for later, I drove the last stretch to park and get ready for a quick lap on the carbon fiber 29+ rocket.

Surprisingly, I found that there were few mosquitoes in the air in the grassy lot where I traditionally park there. Not like the last time, when brown whizzing clouds of the blood sucking insects wouldn't leave me alone. This was a good sign, and I planned to take many images and enjoy myself on the loop. I rolled off on the bone dry, rock hard dirt and scooted around the first few corners.

I decided to stop and take an image of the rooty, broken rock infested climb near the counter-clockwise start, and I found out that this was a very bad idea. If anything, this was the worst the skeeters had been in years. Just awful! Okay then, pack it up quickly, remount, spin off, and forget about stopping.

Nothing but flowers and bees out here!

This made for a single stop running of the loop, which is pretty unusual for me, only because I usually feel the need to document a bike, component, or a beautiful scene with the camera when the mood hits me. I am not all about the "fastest time" or "training", for that matter, so I typically don't care about speeding through Ingawanis without enjoying the sights and sounds.

However; the beastly skeeters put a different spin on this ride and I found myself grooving on cutting corners as fast as I could, or in not using my brakes as much. It made for the fastest times in many sections that I have ever had. The mood and techniques were one thing, but the bike played right into that as well. Big, 29+ meats, set up tubeless, were the meal ticket to eating up single track at an alarming rate. Whomever said 29"ers could not zap around tight corners never rode such a rig as this, that much I do know. I was flying through the tight twisties faster than ever, and conditions were not primo for traction either.

29+, (really, they are 31"ers), are so good at gaining traction, that speed in areas you typically have to scrub off speed in, or be careful with pushing too hard for fear of breaking away, are non issues. I was even cruising right past the sandy patches in the apexes of corners like they were pure, tacky dirt. Braking traction was insane, when you needed to brake, and whoa-ing up the Echo was no problem at all. I'll be adding a 29+ or a B+ bike to the stable for sure based upon this experience with the Borealis.

And that flowery prairie? I decided to stroll on over on the Echo and visit for a while. It was a great, relaxing way to cap off a frenetic ride through Ingawanis Woods escaping the dreaded skeeter attacks.

Skeeters And Flowers

Just about succumbed to a Skeeter attack here!

Last chance for gas with the Borealis before it has to go back to Colorado, so off to Ingawanis Woods I went. It was a gloriously cool, drier day compared to Tuesday which was a typically beastly, humid, hot Summer day. I was really happy that Wednesday was much better.

When I reached the last road to the woods, I spied a 40 acre field of wild flowers and prairie grasses that I thought might make for a good image or two. Filed away in the back of my mind for later, I drove the last stretch to park and get ready for a quick lap on the carbon fiber 29+ rocket.

Surprisingly, I found that there were few mosquitoes in the air in the grassy lot where I traditionally park there. Not like the last time, when brown whizzing clouds of the blood sucking insects wouldn't leave me alone. This was a good sign, and I planned to take many images and enjoy myself on the loop. I rolled off on the bone dry, rock hard dirt and scooted around the first few corners.

I decided to stop and take an image of the rooty, broken rock infested climb near the counter-clockwise start, and I found out that this was a very bad idea. If anything, this was the worst the skeeters had been in years. Just awful! Okay then, pack it up quickly, remount, spin off, and forget about stopping.

Nothing but flowers and bees out here!

This made for a single stop running of the loop, which is pretty unusual for me, only because I usually feel the need to document a bike, component, or a beautiful scene with the camera when the mood hits me. I am not all about the "fastest time" or "training", for that matter, so I typically don't care about speeding through Ingawanis without enjoying the sights and sounds.

However; the beastly skeeters put a different spin on this ride and I found myself grooving on cutting corners as fast as I could, or in not using my brakes as much. It made for the fastest times in many sections that I have ever had. The mood and techniques were one thing, but the bike played right into that as well. Big, 29+ meats, set up tubeless, were the meal ticket to eating up single track at an alarming rate. Whomever said 29"ers could not zap around tight corners never rode such a rig as this, that much I do know. I was flying through the tight twisties faster than ever, and conditions were not primo for traction either.

29+, (really, they are 31"ers), are so good at gaining traction, that speed in areas you typically have to scrub off speed in, or be careful with pushing too hard for fear of breaking away, are non issues. I was even cruising right past the sandy patches in the apexes of corners like they were pure, tacky dirt. Braking traction was insane, when you needed to brake, and whoa-ing up the Echo was no problem at all. I'll be adding a 29+ or a B+ bike to the stable for sure based upon this experience with the Borealis.

And that flowery prairie? I decided to stroll on over on the Echo and visit for a while. It was a great, relaxing way to cap off a frenetic ride through Ingawanis Woods escaping the dreaded skeeter attacks.