The Renegade Rig

Yep. You all know this rig.

If you were paying attention last week to the blog here you all know that I went around to three choices on bikes for the Renegade Gents Race before I decided on which one I was going to take. The final choice was the Black Mountain Cycles "Monster Cross" bike which I call "Orange Crush". Here's why it was the one I took.

First off, I was going to take the Twin Six Standard Rando for sure, but mid-week I received a part to test out which is not released yet, so with that part on the bike, I could not take that bike. Too many eyes prying and potential questions. So, that bike was eliminated by a secret.

The Raleigh Tamland Two was also a choice, but there had been an earlier forecast for the weekend for the possibility of showers. The Tamland doesn't have fenders and with bigger tires, which I wanted to run due to the sandier roads, fenders don't fit well on the Tamland. So, due to a weather forecast, I left that bike at home.

The Orange Crush has fenders and big tires. I have the Planet Bike aluminum fenders and the tires are Terrene Elwoods. At a true 43mm wide, they had the float and stability over the looser sandy roads and gravel that the Gents Race course has. As far as that went, I was super happy with the set up.

That's a "Shape My Grip" there under the tape.

One thing I had on the Orange Crush which is unique and new is a product called "Shape My Grip". It is essentially a grip like you'd see on a cruiser bike, with "finger depressions", for drop bars. The grips are slotted so they slip over the bars. They are held on with double sided tape and then you wrap over those grips with bar tape. The idea is that they provide an ergonomic grip area and supposedly dampen vibrations.

I used them for the event the first time. The gravel on that course really doesn't provide the venue to judge vibration damping. But, the grip ergonomics are something I can talk about. The grip makes the bar have a feel that you have more security in your grip. I can totally see where if you are on a course that is really rough, or even off road single track, that the grip would provide a better feel. I'm not 100% sold on the bar top position but the curve version on the drop portion feels great and if I were "monster crossing" or hitting some real off-road-ish road stuff, these would be nice while descending or traversing rough, uneven road or single track.

So, on the vibration thing, I need to hit up some gravel with some good chunky stuff all over. Then I'll know about how, or even if, these grips actually work on the bars. They look goofy at first, but I have found that no one notices them. I never said a word at the Gents Race about them, and no one pointed them out either, so they go fairly unnoticed in reality.

More on those items later, but the bottom line for the event was that the bike performed perfectly and the tires were perfect for that course. That good ol' Black Mountain Cycles rig just works.

The Renegade Rig

Yep. You all know this rig.

If you were paying attention last week to the blog here you all know that I went around to three choices on bikes for the Renegade Gents Race before I decided on which one I was going to take. The final choice was the Black Mountain Cycles "Monster Cross" bike which I call "Orange Crush". Here's why it was the one I took.

First off, I was going to take the Twin Six Standard Rando for sure, but mid-week I received a part to test out which is not released yet, so with that part on the bike, I could not take that bike. Too many eyes prying and potential questions. So, that bike was eliminated by a secret.

The Raleigh Tamland Two was also a choice, but there had been an earlier forecast for the weekend for the possibility of showers. The Tamland doesn't have fenders and with bigger tires, which I wanted to run due to the sandier roads, fenders don't fit well on the Tamland. So, due to a weather forecast, I left that bike at home.

The Orange Crush has fenders and big tires. I have the Planet Bike aluminum fenders and the tires are Terrene Elwoods. At a true 43mm wide, they had the float and stability over the looser sandy roads and gravel that the Gents Race course has. As far as that went, I was super happy with the set up.

That's a "Shape My Grip" there under the tape.

One thing I had on the Orange Crush which is unique and new is a product called "Shape My Grip". It is essentially a grip like you'd see on a cruiser bike, with "finger depressions", for drop bars. The grips are slotted so they slip over the bars. They are held on with double sided tape and then you wrap over those grips with bar tape. The idea is that they provide an ergonomic grip area and supposedly dampen vibrations.

I used them for the event the first time. The gravel on that course really doesn't provide the venue to judge vibration damping. But, the grip ergonomics are something I can talk about. The grip makes the bar have a feel that you have more security in your grip. I can totally see where if you are on a course that is really rough, or even off road single track, that the grip would provide a better feel. I'm not 100% sold on the bar top position but the curve version on the drop portion feels great and if I were "monster crossing" or hitting some real off-road-ish road stuff, these would be nice while descending or traversing rough, uneven road or single track.

So, on the vibration thing, I need to hit up some gravel with some good chunky stuff all over. Then I'll know about how, or even if, these grips actually work on the bars. They look goofy at first, but I have found that no one notices them. I never said a word at the Gents Race about them, and no one pointed them out either, so they go fairly unnoticed in reality.

More on those items later, but the bottom line for the event was that the bike performed perfectly and the tires were perfect for that course. That good ol' Black Mountain Cycles rig just works.

Bikes Of 2016: Twin Six Standard Rando

Used quite a bit this year.....

The time of year has come that I will be reviewing the bikes I used the most throughout 2016 and why. The ups, downs, changes, and more will be discussed. 

 Twin Six Standard Rando: This bike was a review bike for RidingGravel.com last year and I liked it so much I purchased it. I reviewed it in this series last year here. I still really like it, but there were two rather significant changes which made the bike really special this year. 

First was the switch to 650B wheels. I had the opportunity to test the WTB Horizon 47's this year, but I lacked a proper wheel set to do that with. Velocity USA came to the rescue with a set of Aileron rims laced to their own branded hubs.  Once the wheels and tires were set up, I put them on my Raleigh Tamland Two first. However; I switched them over to the Standard Rando after a while. I then discovered that the ride feel with 650B, "Road Plus" rubber was pretty compelling. The Standard Rando got lowered, felt smoother, and spun up ridiculously fast with these wheels and tires. I really had no reason to swap out that tire until a more fully featured 650B, "Road Plus" tire came along, and it did in the form of the Terrene Elwood 650B X 47mm tires. Now I am liking this wheel/tire combo even more with this bike. 

The second thing was the swap to a Brooks Cambium C-17 saddle. I had heard mixed reviews on this newer Brooks model, but my good friend, MG, had five of them, so I knew there was something to the hype. Well, it wasn't love at first ride, by any means. 

The C-17 felt stiff and a bit unforgiving. Even after a couple of gravel outings. I was about to consider how I was going to pawn it off when after the third longer ride it suddenly became super comfortable.  The compliance was 100% better than when new. Even co-workers were surprised when I rode the bike into work and we compared another new C-17 we had in stock with my broken in C-17. Night and day difference. The saddle has been primo ever since then. 

I mentioned last year that the stem, handle bar, and seat post were apt to get changed, and I still mean to get to that. However; other than a swept bar, I cannot see those things really making the bike better. The wheels, tires, and saddle have just been a major improvement. The ride quality has been enhanced, and the only negative is that I have had a few pedal strikes due to the lowered bottom bracket. 

The Aileron rims have been really great so far. I may pick up a 700c sized set and swap the bigger diameter  tires in  from time to time. That would be nice when I need a higher bottom bracket or the characteristics of a 700c set of wheels over that of a 650B, "Road Plus" set up.

Bikes Of 2016: Twin Six Standard Rando

Used quite a bit this year.....

The time of year has come that I will be reviewing the bikes I used the most throughout 2016 and why. The ups, downs, changes, and more will be discussed. 

 Twin Six Standard Rando: This bike was a review bike for RidingGravel.com last year and I liked it so much I purchased it. I reviewed it in this series last year here. I still really like it, but there were two rather significant changes which made the bike really special this year. 

First was the switch to 650B wheels. I had the opportunity to test the WTB Horizon 47's this year, but I lacked a proper wheel set to do that with. Velocity USA came to the rescue with a set of Aileron rims laced to their own branded hubs.  Once the wheels and tires were set up, I put them on my Raleigh Tamland Two first. However; I switched them over to the Standard Rando after a while. I then discovered that the ride feel with 650B, "Road Plus" rubber was pretty compelling. The Standard Rando got lowered, felt smoother, and spun up ridiculously fast with these wheels and tires. I really had no reason to swap out that tire until a more fully featured 650B, "Road Plus" tire came along, and it did in the form of the Terrene Elwood 650B X 47mm tires. Now I am liking this wheel/tire combo even more with this bike. 

The second thing was the swap to a Brooks Cambium C-17 saddle. I had heard mixed reviews on this newer Brooks model, but my good friend, MG, had five of them, so I knew there was something to the hype. Well, it wasn't love at first ride, by any means. 

The C-17 felt stiff and a bit unforgiving. Even after a couple of gravel outings. I was about to consider how I was going to pawn it off when after the third longer ride it suddenly became super comfortable.  The compliance was 100% better than when new. Even co-workers were surprised when I rode the bike into work and we compared another new C-17 we had in stock with my broken in C-17. Night and day difference. The saddle has been primo ever since then. 

I mentioned last year that the stem, handle bar, and seat post were apt to get changed, and I still mean to get to that. However; other than a swept bar, I cannot see those things really making the bike better. The wheels, tires, and saddle have just been a major improvement. The ride quality has been enhanced, and the only negative is that I have had a few pedal strikes due to the lowered bottom bracket. 

The Aileron rims have been really great so far. I may pick up a 700c sized set and swap the bigger diameter  tires in  from time to time. That would be nice when I need a higher bottom bracket or the characteristics of a 700c set of wheels over that of a 650B, "Road Plus" set up.

Friday News And Views

Crushing leaves with Elwood

Terrene Tires Elwood:

I just got a set of some new tires from another new tire brand named Terrene Tires. While you may not have have heard about this company you likely know one of the guys behind it. (Read about that HERE) These are tires being reviewed on RidingGravel.com, by the way.

Anyway, I have tested a ton of tires before going back to 2006. Add in all the tires I have mounted and dismounted in my 17 years plus of wrenching on bikes and you could say that I have a pretty good handle on what a good bicycle tire is. I bring this up becuase of all the tires I have personally handled, these Terrene Elwoods are the most luxurious feeling tires I have touched. They just feel awesome in the hand. Soft and smooth. Almost not like rubber at all.

I know that may sound weird, but I was just struck by this when  first touched them. Now I am finding out how they ride and so far..... Well, you'll have to wait for my first post on Riding Gravel for that take. I won't spoil it here. I will say that these are of the 650B X 47 size, which I find to be a nice compromise between weight, width, and diameter. Well, for a gravel road rig, I find that to be a good thing. You can also bomb some double and single track with such a set up, so it could make for some interesting route choices you wouldn't otherwise choose to ride.

That said, I sure hope Terrene comes out with a 700 X 2.0"-2,1" version of the Elwood. It would make a killer tire for a Fargo!

Rocky Mountain Suzy-Q: Ya know.....because Halloween is coming!

27.5 X 4" Fat: 4 Season Fatty?

A year or so ago Trek came out with their 27.5" sized fat bike wheels on some models of  Farleys. Were they daft, or were they on to something? I know a guy that has one of those bikes and he pretty much parked his normal mtb bike for the 27.5 X 4 wheeled Farley fat bike. He claimed it was far more fun and capable.

Well, Trek was the only game in town then and they were the only ones making tires under the Bontrager label. That's okay because they are good tires, but was this just a Trek thing? Now it seems that maybe it isn't, and more of this sort of rig will be showing up in the future.

Rocky Mountain is the next brand to utilize this fat bike wheel size and they got Maxxis to provide the tires. You can bet other factories are working on 27.5" fat bike models too. I bet we'll be seeing such beasts coming out in the future. It makes sense for those folks wanting to use these fatter tires all year long, and maybe even as a bike packing platform.

Trans Iowa v13 Registration Update;

The registration process continues as the Rookie class for T.I.v13 is sending in their cards to potentially have a lottery for the chance to ride in T.I.v13. So far, as of yesterday's mail, there were 26 entrants so far and with just over a week to go, it still will be touch and go on whether we'll see enough entries for a lottery. Today's haul and Saturday's deliveries will probably determine whether or not we'll get over the 55 rider limit on the Rookie Class field. Stay tuned on that front.....

I'm still doing some work on the course. I have a workaround for one section of pavement. As for the first 40-ish miles, I am still contemplating an exact route, but I do have an idea for what to do. Yes......there will be a B Level Maintenance road in the first section. Why not? It isn't a "real" Trans Iowa without some dirt and mud thrown in, right?

Okay, have a great weekend and get outside and enjoy yourselves on a bicycle!

Friday News And Views

Crushing leaves with Elwood

Terrene Tires Elwood:

I just got a set of some new tires from another new tire brand named Terrene Tires. While you may not have have heard about this company you likely know one of the guys behind it. (Read about that HERE) These are tires being reviewed on RidingGravel.com, by the way.

Anyway, I have tested a ton of tires before going back to 2006. Add in all the tires I have mounted and dismounted in my 17 years plus of wrenching on bikes and you could say that I have a pretty good handle on what a good bicycle tire is. I bring this up becuase of all the tires I have personally handled, these Terrene Elwoods are the most luxurious feeling tires I have touched. They just feel awesome in the hand. Soft and smooth. Almost not like rubber at all.

I know that may sound weird, but I was just struck by this when  first touched them. Now I am finding out how they ride and so far..... Well, you'll have to wait for my first post on Riding Gravel for that take. I won't spoil it here. I will say that these are of the 650B X 47 size, which I find to be a nice compromise between weight, width, and diameter. Well, for a gravel road rig, I find that to be a good thing. You can also bomb some double and single track with such a set up, so it could make for some interesting route choices you wouldn't otherwise choose to ride.

That said, I sure hope Terrene comes out with a 700 X 2.0"-2,1" version of the Elwood. It would make a killer tire for a Fargo!

Rocky Mountain Suzy-Q: Ya know.....because Halloween is coming!

27.5 X 4" Fat: 4 Season Fatty?

A year or so ago Trek came out with their 27.5" sized fat bike wheels on some models of  Farleys. Were they daft, or were they on to something? I know a guy that has one of those bikes and he pretty much parked his normal mtb bike for the 27.5 X 4 wheeled Farley fat bike. He claimed it was far more fun and capable.

Well, Trek was the only game in town then and they were the only ones making tires under the Bontrager label. That's okay because they are good tires, but was this just a Trek thing? Now it seems that maybe it isn't, and more of this sort of rig will be showing up in the future.

Rocky Mountain is the next brand to utilize this fat bike wheel size and they got Maxxis to provide the tires. You can bet other factories are working on 27.5" fat bike models too. I bet we'll be seeing such beasts coming out in the future. It makes sense for those folks wanting to use these fatter tires all year long, and maybe even as a bike packing platform.

Trans Iowa v13 Registration Update;

The registration process continues as the Rookie class for T.I.v13 is sending in their cards to potentially have a lottery for the chance to ride in T.I.v13. So far, as of yesterday's mail, there were 26 entrants so far and with just over a week to go, it still will be touch and go on whether we'll see enough entries for a lottery. Today's haul and Saturday's deliveries will probably determine whether or not we'll get over the 55 rider limit on the Rookie Class field. Stay tuned on that front.....

I'm still doing some work on the course. I have a workaround for one section of pavement. As for the first 40-ish miles, I am still contemplating an exact route, but I do have an idea for what to do. Yes......there will be a B Level Maintenance road in the first section. Why not? It isn't a "real" Trans Iowa without some dirt and mud thrown in, right?

Okay, have a great weekend and get outside and enjoy yourselves on a bicycle!