Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Rivendell Bikes

 A Corpulent Sea Otter Edition

Seven Speed Specific Hub From Rivendell:

I found this on Instagram recently. A seven speed specific rear hub from Rivedell. Why, in an era of 12 speed rear cassettes, would anyone want a seven speed hub? 

Well, if you asked that, glad you asked, because I can think of several reasons why you'd want this. 

First of all, and less obvious, these hubs have a shorter cassette body, just like the original 7 speed cassette hubs of the 1980's, and that allowed Rivendell to spec a wider hub flange spacing. This allows for a stronger, more reliable wheel, especially for carrying loads. Secondly, seven speed components, like the chain and cassette, have more material than current 11 and 12 speed chains and cassettes which is advantageous from a wear standpoint. Finally, if you get the right sort of cassettes, they can have shifting ramps that stand more proud from the cassette cog enabling better shifting under loads and longer wear as well. 

The Rivendell rear hub is available in silver and a light green anodized hue as shown. The cost is a reasonable $170.00 and they weigh  a claimed 314 grams. I'm not sure if there is a matching green ano front hub, and yes- rim brake only. This is Rivendell, after all. 

Image courtesy of Cane Creek

Cane Creek Debuts Invert Gravel Suspension Fork:

Monday of this week news dropped concerning the new Cane Creek Invert, a gravel suspension fork Cane Creek claims is the "first gravel suspension fork". 

Using a novel combination of a uni-crown style carbon crown and carbon steer tube mated to aluminum uppers and lowers, this fork utilizes an inverted telescopic design, thus the name, "Invert". 

Two models are in the range, one with lock-out, one without. The fork utilizes an air spring, oil bath lubrication, but no damper system as Cane Creek believes that things happen so quickly on gravel with regard to shock absorbing duties that a damper cannot keep up. In fact, their testing showed that a fork in prototype form utilizing a damper was not as satisfactory as one without. 

The travel is limited, as it is with all telescopic "gravel" suspension designs, to either 30mm or 40mm of travel. This forces the axle to crown to be at 425mm for the 30mm travel option, or 435 for the 40mm travel option. So, unless your gravel bike is designed for suspension forks, this will mess with your fit and handling to a degree. Most non-suspension designs for gravel will have an axle to crown of around 400mm, plus or minus a few millimeters.  

Cost is $1,099.00 for the Invert with no lockout, the lightest at 990 grams claimed weight, or $1,199.00 for the lock-out version which weighs a claimed 1,113 grams. 

Comments: Again, this is a telescopic fork, and I will refer you to what I wrote earlier about such forks HERE if you want my full-take on why these types of forks are not ideal for gravel use. I am not saying this, or any other telescopic gravel suspension fork will not work for gravel riders. I am saying this is not the best option for gravel. (See that link for why that is, if you want more on my thoughts) 

I will also point out here that - yes - the Invert has a service interval of every 50 hours for an "oil flush" and every 100 hours for "Full Service". So, keep that in mind when you are thinking about this option. Just to remind you, suspension stems do not have such limitations. Finally, while Cane Creek is to be commended for reducing the weight of this fork to a level that mimics a steel, uni-crown rigid gravel fork, the Lauf Grit weighs a claimed 936 grams right out of the box. Cane Creek is basing their claims on a cut, 165mm steer tube, so it is close to a Lauf but not quite, and the Lauf is maintenance free. 

Carbon Piedmont wheels Image courtesy of e'Thirteen

e'Thirteen Debuts New Piedmont Gravel Wheels:

Known more for their MTB components, e'Thirteen have just announced new Piedmont Gravel wheel sets in alloy and carbon. 

Utilizing straight-pull hubs with a 4 pawl, 3° engagement, the new rims are now 26mm inner rim width on the carbon and 24mm in alloy. The rims use a proprietary Quick Fill valve stem which is provided with the wheels.

The carbon rims have a 31mm profile height, are made from high-modulus carbon fiber with a hookless bead design, and have a lifetime warranty. The carbon rims weigh in at 340 grams each. Wheel set weight is estimated at 1400 grams for the set. 

The alloy rims have a 19.5mm profile height and weigh in at 415 grams each. The alloy rims are also a hookless design. Wheel set weight is estimated at 1500 grams a set. Hubs are identical on each set and the spokes are Sapim D-Lites at 24 count front and rear for both wheel models. The front hub is convertible with the supplied alloy end caps to be either 15mm or 12mm through axle compatible while the rear is a 142mm X 12mm only.

Prices are $1,679.90 for the carbon versions and $749.90 for the alloy versions. 

Image courtesy of Kona Bikes

Kona Ouroboros - Carbon Drop Bar Bike:

Kona announced a new model on Wednesday called the Ouroboros, a front suspended carbon framed "gravel/MTB" bike. 

Using the the Fox TC32 on the entry level $3,799.00 model and the Rock Shox Rudy XPLR Charger Race Day (really?!) fork on the range-topping $6,999.00 model, the bike will allow 40mm of front travel. There is a rigid fork model in between the front sus bikes at $4,799.00 which is also the only bike sporting a front derailleur (!!) All bikes feature wide gearing ranges from SRAM. 

Comments: This bike, I think, is the bike that someone from Kona tipped me off to last year, or was that 2022? Anyway, it was quite some time ago now. The point is, I've been patiently awaiting news of a new drop bar bike model from Kona for quite some time, and now it appears that it is finally here. 

There are certain things I see here that are great: Lower range gearing, big, 2.1" tire clearances, a decently low bottom bracket, and a slack, sub-70 degree head tube angle at a claimed 69.5°. However; by now you should all understand that I am not a fan of "under-traveled", 'gravel' suspension fork designs. Especially spec'ed on a bike aimed at mountain bikers who, for the most part, are not going to think 40mm of travel is enough when their forks are running three times that amount of travel, or more. And then you have the Salsa Cycles' Cutthroat, which actually does support a real MTB fork and has big tire clearances. 

So, in my opinion, this bike is kind of a weird fashion statement, and the real gem is the rigid bike. But maybe that's just me.....

But Wait! There's More! Apparently, according to a "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" report released on Wednesday, Kona had set up their Sea Otter booth and then tore it back down at the behest of their company overlords, Kent Outdoors. (Kona was sold a couple years ago by the originator's of the brand) Reportedly a group call will have been held on Thursday with the entire Kona staff and then..... Who knows? Maybe the Ouroboros won't be a thing after all.  UPDATED 4/20/24: Scuttlebutt on the social channels, with some claiming insider info, are saying Kona has been shut down by it's owners. This is not verified public info., Late Saturday evening "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" posted that the company would be put up for sale by its owner, Kent Outdoors. Se the article HERE.

Image courtesy of Munich Composites

More Wheel News:

More introductions concerning wheels happened this week. One of the most interesting to my mind was the acquisition of Munich Composites, a company from Germany, by the Cardinal Group and Boyd Cycling. This new arrangement will bring carbon wheel manufacturing to North Carolina where a state of the art facility will begin producing carbon fiber wheels made with continuous strand technology. 

The patented technique is said to produce a stronger, lighter rim without the use of sheets of pre-preg carbon which then has to be laboriously laid up in a mold. The technique utilized by Munich Composites braids the rim together instead. (See image) The company hopes to have rims produced in the  USA by mid-Summer.

Classified, the internal geared rear hub maker, has just announced that they are now partnering with Enve to offer their proprietary hub, cassette and shifting system in Enve wheel builds. The press release also said that the wheels would also be available on Enve carbon bike model "rolling chassis" options as well. Prices are, as one would expect, on the upper end of what wheels cost these days, but you are getting a partial drive train and shifting system as well. 

Image courtesy of Ritchey Design

Ritchey Design Offers New Butano Ridge Super-Logic Bar/Stem:

Ritchey Design announced a new carbon stem/handle bar with its latest offering, the Butano Ridge Super-Logic 

The design features internal cable routing which can be accessed by a removable cover, a "flattened round" shaped top section, and low weight, of course. The 44cm wide, 110mm length stem version weighs in at 417 grams. 

The Butano Ridge has a 17.5° flare and comes in a matte UD finish. Price in the USA is $599.00. See Ritchey Design for more details on options for sizes of this bar. Keep your eyes peeled for some other Ritchey news in the near future that I think many will be interested in. 

Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

Salsa Cycles Debuts E-MTB's:

Salsa Cycles continues to roll out their electrified bicycle models and at Sea Otter they are featuring two new MTB eBikes.

The first, here shown to the left, is the Notch, a 160mm travel enduro bike which features a 65 watt/hr Bosch mid-mount motor producing up to 85Nm of torque. 

The other model is the all-mountain Moraine with 145mm of Split-Pivot suspension and a Fazua motor. Each model comes in two spec ranges and each model starts at $4,999.00 and tops out at $5,999.00. See these and other Salsa eBikes HERE. 

Image courtesy of Delium Tires

New Gravel Tire Brand Delium Debuts:

Another gravel tire brand hits the market at Sea Otter and their name is Delium Tires. There are some Delium MTB tires already out there, but these three new models are their first foray into the gravel market. 

To the left here we see the AllRounder, a tire meant for multiple surface types. If you thought it was a Gravel King you could be forgiven, but it isn't a Gravel King. 

The Delium AllRounder comes in 38mm, 43mm, and 50mm widths, all folding bead and tubeless ready with a medium dual compound rubber. 

The next tire up is the Delium SpeedX. This one excels on dry terrain and hard-packed conditions. This model has a triple-compound rubber with a softer, grippier center tread. It comes in a 38mm, 40mm, and 45mm widths. 

SpeedX image courtesy of Delium Tires.

The final tire in the new trio of gravel treads from Delium is the Loamer. This model is all about grip in looser dirt and - the company claims - wet dirt. 

This one has the dual-compound rubber like the AllRounder and also comes in the same sizes as the AllRounder. 

Casings for all three tires have what Delium calls a 'Dual Zone" construction with the side walls being a cut-resistant material and the top of the casing being a more supple construction for lower rolling resistance, grip, and comfort. All three models have 62TPI casings. All three tire models are e-bike certified and cost $49.99 each no matter the model.

Comments: "Tire tread designs are purely fashion". That's what one famous designer of tires told me one time, and well, I think the eye-test for Delium shows that they have hit on some "fashionable" looking tread designs. 

Delium Loamer. Image courtesy of Delium Tire.

That said, it is how a tire feels to ride that matters. If the tire doesn't do anything weird in terms of handling, if it feels good......what's not to like? Looks? Price? I'm going to take a stab here and say that if the Delium tires work out in terms of ride feel, looks, and weight, then the cost makes these pretty desirable. The sizes are right, the tread designs are spot-on, and the only thing missing is where you can get them at. 

About that: Hitting up their site, all three gravel tires are "pre-order" status only, and not all the sizes are available. (No 50's? Boo!) That's not a great start. 

Final Quick Hits: TIME has a revamped gravel pedal line. Looks nothing like the original gravel pedal from them and is essentially a two-sided Xtrac variant that is very expensive. Hope has a new aluminum 24mm internal width wheel with their signature hubs and new valve stems to match. Maxxis is making their Team Issue XC MTB tires available for a limited time. DT Swiss unveiled a ne 90T Ratchet free hub. 

Good luck to all the team at Iowa Wind and Rock this weekend. I hope all the riders are safe and have a great ride.

Whew! That's a wrap on this edition of the FN&V. Have a great weekend and good luck to all the Iowa Wind and Rock riders and volunteers!

Friday News And Views

Maybe......maybe not!

Hold On There Just A Minute!

A week ago I reported on the pending sale of ASE's assets to Head Sport. the sale was looked at with approval by most in the industry who felt that it would save the legacy brands, many jobs, and might even help inject a bit of optimism in a flagging industry.

Unfortunately the entire deal is in jeopardy of falling apart as reported Wednesday by "Bicycle Retailer And Industry News". Head thought the terms of the sale included around 9 million in cash assets that ASE has, according to the story. That's a bit bonkers to think that, and of course, everything was put on hold at once. Head wants a "re-do" of the auction, because they obviously feel they are paying too much now. The bankruptcy judge, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Benjamin Kahn, characterized the developments as "a gosh-awful mess", when he was asked to comment for the story.

The losing bidder on the original auction was a manufacturer for ASE called Ideal. They actually bid higher than Head, but the judge and ASE felt that Head was a better suitor. Now it appears as though that the sale has a good chance of going to Ideal. If this happens, it may not go well for many parts of the ASE empire. It is assumed by many that Ideal would want nothing to do with the retail side of ASE and all those jobs would be lost. Time will tell, but this cannot be seen as a positive for the industry any longer.

Enve Composites introduced a new line of hubs. (Image Courtesy of Enve)

 The Hub Of It All:

Wheels are not much good for cycling without hubs. Enve Composites, who started out doing carbon rim manufacturing, knows this. Yesterday they debuted a new range of road hubs. they are for rim brake and disc brake applications with different models for each.

I found one of the new features of these hubs to be rather intriguing. It is called Perfect Preload™. Basically it is somewhat similar sounding to what you see on some FSA bottom brackets and crank sets. A wave washer of a preset strength is set against the sealed bearing and a snap ring, presumably set into a groove in the axle. this applies a preset amount of pressure laterally against the bearing and snap ring to take up side play in the system. As bearings wear, the wave washer spring adjusts for that wear. This is how I interpreted the information, as I haven't seen any diagrams of this set up. 

It seems like a clever way to adjust and hold adjustment of a sealed bearing hub with little to no maintenance. It seems to have worked on cranks/bottom brackets, so it will be interesting to see how it goes for Enve. 

The other notable thing was that they went for a paired spoke hub flange to save weight. This will make for a challenging set of hubs to calculate spoke length for, but I am sure it can be done with not a whole lot of extra work.  

Lezyne Torque Drive Tool (Image Courtesy of Lezyne)

 Torqued Off (or On, as the case may be):

Tools for working on bicycles have always been of interest to me. I have seen a bunch of pre-set torque tools out there but this one looks pretty slick. It's from Lezyne and is called, you're not going to believe this, Torque Drive. I know.....amazing, right? 


Anyway, it comes with hardened steel bits which are housed in the included soft case. Apparently the wrench works on the torque rod principal, from the appearance of its use on a video I watched. That's cool because you'll never need a battery. A gradated set of markings exists on the base with an indicator hash mark on the bit holding side. Simply twist on the fastener until the hash mark lines up with the desired torque setting. (Range is 2Nm to 10Nm) 

This is a pretty cool tool for travel or home use. Torque rod type torque wrenches typically stay calibrated for a long time if they are not abused and are handled with care. That said, I don't know that you could calibrate this wrench, so.....handle it with care! The other nit I have with it is that for tight quarters the wrench is pretty useless. So, for stem face plates obscured by accessories or for bolts that are in tighter places, you'll have to look elsewhere for your torquing needs. That said, this should work in most cases. Lezyne sells these for about 50 bucks. Not a bad insurance policy against failure to torque properly. 

 Traveling Over The Frozen Tundra To Blow Some Hot Air:

Today I am traveling to Des Moines, barring any calamity, to speak at the Iowa Bicycle Summit. They want to hear about gravel travel and how Iowa communities can get on board with the burgeoning gravel scene. 

This will only take up a small amount of time while I am there, so I am probably going to visit somewhere/someone else whilst I am down there. Stay tuned for a report on my adventures.......

That's it for today. I hope that you all are staying safe, warm, (if need be) , and having a good time with bicycles. 

Friday News And Views

Maybe......maybe not!

Hold On There Just A Minute!

A week ago I reported on the pending sale of ASE's assets to Head Sport. the sale was looked at with approval by most in the industry who felt that it would save the legacy brands, many jobs, and might even help inject a bit of optimism in a flagging industry.

Unfortunately the entire deal is in jeopardy of falling apart as reported Wednesday by "Bicycle Retailer And Industry News". Head thought the terms of the sale included around 9 million in cash assets that ASE has, according to the story. That's a bit bonkers to think that, and of course, everything was put on hold at once. Head wants a "re-do" of the auction, because they obviously feel they are paying too much now. The bankruptcy judge, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Benjamin Kahn, characterized the developments as "a gosh-awful mess", when he was asked to comment for the story.

The losing bidder on the original auction was a manufacturer for ASE called Ideal. They actually bid higher than Head, but the judge and ASE felt that Head was a better suitor. Now it appears as though that the sale has a good chance of going to Ideal. If this happens, it may not go well for many parts of the ASE empire. It is assumed by many that Ideal would want nothing to do with the retail side of ASE and all those jobs would be lost. Time will tell, but this cannot be seen as a positive for the industry any longer.

Enve Composites introduced a new line of hubs. (Image Courtesy of Enve)

 The Hub Of It All:

Wheels are not much good for cycling without hubs. Enve Composites, who started out doing carbon rim manufacturing, knows this. Yesterday they debuted a new range of road hubs. they are for rim brake and disc brake applications with different models for each.

I found one of the new features of these hubs to be rather intriguing. It is called Perfect Preload™. Basically it is somewhat similar sounding to what you see on some FSA bottom brackets and crank sets. A wave washer of a preset strength is set against the sealed bearing and a snap ring, presumably set into a groove in the axle. this applies a preset amount of pressure laterally against the bearing and snap ring to take up side play in the system. As bearings wear, the wave washer spring adjusts for that wear. This is how I interpreted the information, as I haven't seen any diagrams of this set up. 

It seems like a clever way to adjust and hold adjustment of a sealed bearing hub with little to no maintenance. It seems to have worked on cranks/bottom brackets, so it will be interesting to see how it goes for Enve. 

The other notable thing was that they went for a paired spoke hub flange to save weight. This will make for a challenging set of hubs to calculate spoke length for, but I am sure it can be done with not a whole lot of extra work.  

Lezyne Torque Drive Tool (Image Courtesy of Lezyne)

 Torqued Off (or On, as the case may be):

Tools for working on bicycles have always been of interest to me. I have seen a bunch of pre-set torque tools out there but this one looks pretty slick. It's from Lezyne and is called, you're not going to believe this, Torque Drive. I know.....amazing, right? 


Anyway, it comes with hardened steel bits which are housed in the included soft case. Apparently the wrench works on the torque rod principal, from the appearance of its use on a video I watched. That's cool because you'll never need a battery. A gradated set of markings exists on the base with an indicator hash mark on the bit holding side. Simply twist on the fastener until the hash mark lines up with the desired torque setting. (Range is 2Nm to 10Nm) 

This is a pretty cool tool for travel or home use. Torque rod type torque wrenches typically stay calibrated for a long time if they are not abused and are handled with care. That said, I don't know that you could calibrate this wrench, so.....handle it with care! The other nit I have with it is that for tight quarters the wrench is pretty useless. So, for stem face plates obscured by accessories or for bolts that are in tighter places, you'll have to look elsewhere for your torquing needs. That said, this should work in most cases. Lezyne sells these for about 50 bucks. Not a bad insurance policy against failure to torque properly. 

 Traveling Over The Frozen Tundra To Blow Some Hot Air:

Today I am traveling to Des Moines, barring any calamity, to speak at the Iowa Bicycle Summit. They want to hear about gravel travel and how Iowa communities can get on board with the burgeoning gravel scene. 

This will only take up a small amount of time while I am there, so I am probably going to visit somewhere/someone else whilst I am down there. Stay tuned for a report on my adventures.......

That's it for today. I hope that you all are staying safe, warm, (if need be) , and having a good time with bicycles. 

Like Cake, Only Grittier

Gravel roads have been "Winterized" for the most part around here.

Wednesday I waited until it warmed up about as much as it was going to for the day before heading out for a quick jaunt South of town. I used the Bubblegum Princess with the Enve wheels attached and those fancy new Northwave boots with the long name. The Sun was out and it was looking pretty outside.

It's that time of year again and the light from the Sun is......weird. I've mentioned this in years past, but I never cease to be fascinated by this phenomenon. I suppose it has something to do with the lower angle of the Sun relative to Earth where I am at. Plus, the Sun was already Westering and it was probably more like riding in twilight than what I am used to for mid-afternoon Sun.

One thing the images here won't convey and that is that the wind was up and constantly blowing right at me as I went South at 20mph. Steady. It made for a rough go because the roads going South were all freshly graveled for Winter. Big, dusty, chunky goodness. All the way across the road.

I was headed down Ansbourough and I had decided I should climb that long climb up Petrie, then maybe go down Beck Road South a bit more. But after I reached the intersection with Petrie Road, I decided I had done enough pushing into the wind for one day. I headed straight West toward the Level B section of Petrie Road. I didn't think it would be dried up all the way yet, but I figured what moisture there was had frozen by now. Of course, it was above freezing as I rode, but it hadn't been for several days. I figured I'd be okay.

Surprise! It was wall to wall mud and water almost right out of the gate.

Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. Petrie Road was not only wet, but tore all up from harvesting machinery. I had to dismount just to get around some standing water, and the tread marks, ruts, and sand were treacherous until I passed the field opening where it seemed that the heavy machinery veered off into the adjacent corn field. That field was now empty. Just like every other field around now. Bonus- now there is absolutely nothing to hold up the wind! 

I moseyed on up the hill and as I went along the roadway here was sandy and underneath that the dirt was cake-like. My tires were doing the "pizza cutter" thing and resistance was high. I ended up having to dismount for a bit and walk along in the now dead weeds to avoid a short section that was not cake-like, but outright muddy. Once around that, it was difficult to get going again due to the spongy ground, but I managed to ride up to the top of the hill where that puddle of water almost always is.

The good news was that, while the mud was bad, it wasn't overwhelming. I could bounce the bike and knock a lot off that way. My boots still engaged the pedals. Mud wasn't fouling the wheels. So, not a disaster, like I thought it might have been. Just......an adventure! Once at the top I dismounted and got out my camera to shoot a few images for the reviews and then I just looked around a bit. It's a great place to see Northward since you can see Hudson, Waterloo, and everything in between from this ridge. I spied cattle grazing in a field not far off and decided to grab that image on this trip.

Cattle grazing with the outliers of Hudson in the distance. 

Water up top and more dead ahead in the distance to deal with. 

Cue the angelic voices......

Onward now and the descent off the ridge was hairy. LOTS of ruts, softer, muddier places, and I was feathering the brakes. Being very careful not to slip up and end up dumping myself into the mud . I also didn't want to cake up the wheels any worse than I had already.

I hopped off a couple of times briefly to negotiate water and mud, and then at the bottom there was a long stretch of hike-a-bike. Oddly enough, even though I was bushwhacking a lot through tall, dead weeds, I didn't get any stickers all over my wool socks. I had expected to look like a weedy, seedy mess, but I actually came out looking just fine.

The turn North was....whoa! Fast! That wind was kicking me straight up the road and I was carrying 18-20mph with little effort. Downhill speeds were higher. The road was chunky, of course, and the handling was a bit sketchy at times due to that. So, I wasn't able to just sit there for the ride. I had to pay attention or I may have eaten dust instead.

But all was well and I made it back okay. It was a perfect ride from the standpoint of length and effort. I'm very glad I decided not to go further into the wind. My body was dead tired afterward. Time to clean up the bike and get ready for the next nice day I have a chance to ride........

Like Cake, Only Grittier

Gravel roads have been "Winterized" for the most part around here.

Wednesday I waited until it warmed up about as much as it was going to for the day before heading out for a quick jaunt South of town. I used the Bubblegum Princess with the Enve wheels attached and those fancy new Northwave boots with the long name. The Sun was out and it was looking pretty outside.

It's that time of year again and the light from the Sun is......weird. I've mentioned this in years past, but I never cease to be fascinated by this phenomenon. I suppose it has something to do with the lower angle of the Sun relative to Earth where I am at. Plus, the Sun was already Westering and it was probably more like riding in twilight than what I am used to for mid-afternoon Sun.

One thing the images here won't convey and that is that the wind was up and constantly blowing right at me as I went South at 20mph. Steady. It made for a rough go because the roads going South were all freshly graveled for Winter. Big, dusty, chunky goodness. All the way across the road.

I was headed down Ansbourough and I had decided I should climb that long climb up Petrie, then maybe go down Beck Road South a bit more. But after I reached the intersection with Petrie Road, I decided I had done enough pushing into the wind for one day. I headed straight West toward the Level B section of Petrie Road. I didn't think it would be dried up all the way yet, but I figured what moisture there was had frozen by now. Of course, it was above freezing as I rode, but it hadn't been for several days. I figured I'd be okay.

Surprise! It was wall to wall mud and water almost right out of the gate.

Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. Petrie Road was not only wet, but tore all up from harvesting machinery. I had to dismount just to get around some standing water, and the tread marks, ruts, and sand were treacherous until I passed the field opening where it seemed that the heavy machinery veered off into the adjacent corn field. That field was now empty. Just like every other field around now. Bonus- now there is absolutely nothing to hold up the wind! 

I moseyed on up the hill and as I went along the roadway here was sandy and underneath that the dirt was cake-like. My tires were doing the "pizza cutter" thing and resistance was high. I ended up having to dismount for a bit and walk along in the now dead weeds to avoid a short section that was not cake-like, but outright muddy. Once around that, it was difficult to get going again due to the spongy ground, but I managed to ride up to the top of the hill where that puddle of water almost always is.

The good news was that, while the mud was bad, it wasn't overwhelming. I could bounce the bike and knock a lot off that way. My boots still engaged the pedals. Mud wasn't fouling the wheels. So, not a disaster, like I thought it might have been. Just......an adventure! Once at the top I dismounted and got out my camera to shoot a few images for the reviews and then I just looked around a bit. It's a great place to see Northward since you can see Hudson, Waterloo, and everything in between from this ridge. I spied cattle grazing in a field not far off and decided to grab that image on this trip.

Cattle grazing with the outliers of Hudson in the distance. 

Water up top and more dead ahead in the distance to deal with. 

Cue the angelic voices......

Onward now and the descent off the ridge was hairy. LOTS of ruts, softer, muddier places, and I was feathering the brakes. Being very careful not to slip up and end up dumping myself into the mud . I also didn't want to cake up the wheels any worse than I had already.

I hopped off a couple of times briefly to negotiate water and mud, and then at the bottom there was a long stretch of hike-a-bike. Oddly enough, even though I was bushwhacking a lot through tall, dead weeds, I didn't get any stickers all over my wool socks. I had expected to look like a weedy, seedy mess, but I actually came out looking just fine.

The turn North was....whoa! Fast! That wind was kicking me straight up the road and I was carrying 18-20mph with little effort. Downhill speeds were higher. The road was chunky, of course, and the handling was a bit sketchy at times due to that. So, I wasn't able to just sit there for the ride. I had to pay attention or I may have eaten dust instead.

But all was well and I made it back okay. It was a perfect ride from the standpoint of length and effort. I'm very glad I decided not to go further into the wind. My body was dead tired afterward. Time to clean up the bike and get ready for the next nice day I have a chance to ride........

Frozen Tundra

Winter has made an early appearance here in Iowa. We've had a skiff of snow, that melted, and now it is just plain cold. Really cold. My commute yesterday was at 9°F with a wind chill well below zero. And I forgot to take my neck scarf to put up over my face as I rode directly into the Northwest wind. Bah! The little things we have to relearn every Winter. Well, that and Winter pounced upon us all at once. No easing into it this year.

It rained and flooded not long ago and the water soaked ground is now rock hard. Frozen tundra. Riding on grass or dirt is like bounding over broken up pavement. There is no forgiveness at all. It's funny that you don't realize how much Earth has give to it until it doesn't.

The Bubblegum Princess rolling on the Enve wheels was getting a work out over the frozen dirt. Patches of ice gave me pause. I ran through a couple of those puddles with thin sheets of ice layered like thin window panes. The loud crunching of ice breaking as my WTB Resolutes cut through was alarming, but somehow satisfying all the same.

I kept telling myself it was okay. The Sun was shining. It could be worse. I was warm-ish. Work harder to get warmer, and on and on. It's funny how that self-talk can take your mind off the negative and you end up being okay. I made it to work and my face didn't even freeze off.

November in a bike shop in Iowa. Nuff said. That was tough. I think working during this time of year is actually harder than it is when we can't get ahead on jobs. Too much time on my hands makes for a long day. Of course, we'd all rather be busier now, but this cold intrusion has pretty much chased all but the most hardcore cyclist off the trails and roads. Even some of them are doing their "smart trainer" work indoors now.

Flood waters that had yet to evaporate or get absorbed by the ground are now beginning to freeze.

The ride home promised to be warmer, but for whatever reason, I felt just as cold as I did in the morning. Weird! I took the long way home from work, doing the out and back on Shirey Way and then cruising Riverside Trail over toward Waterloo and my neck of the woods. The Northwave boots I talked about yesterday are looking to be pretty good. I wasn't cold in the feet on the way to work and an hour ride after work proved to leave my toes just "chilly", but considering I had sweat in my shoes at work...... Well, more testing needs to be done there.

The weather is supposed to moderate to highs in the upper 30's, maybe low 40's? That will feel like a heatwave after this cold shot. I will be enjoying it the best I can. You know it won't last, because we are nearly halfway to December and Winter will be in full force, or it should be, by that time.

Frozen Tundra

Winter has made an early appearance here in Iowa. We've had a skiff of snow, that melted, and now it is just plain cold. Really cold. My commute yesterday was at 9°F with a wind chill well below zero. And I forgot to take my neck scarf to put up over my face as I rode directly into the Northwest wind. Bah! The little things we have to relearn every Winter. Well, that and Winter pounced upon us all at once. No easing into it this year.

It rained and flooded not long ago and the water soaked ground is now rock hard. Frozen tundra. Riding on grass or dirt is like bounding over broken up pavement. There is no forgiveness at all. It's funny that you don't realize how much Earth has give to it until it doesn't.

The Bubblegum Princess rolling on the Enve wheels was getting a work out over the frozen dirt. Patches of ice gave me pause. I ran through a couple of those puddles with thin sheets of ice layered like thin window panes. The loud crunching of ice breaking as my WTB Resolutes cut through was alarming, but somehow satisfying all the same.

I kept telling myself it was okay. The Sun was shining. It could be worse. I was warm-ish. Work harder to get warmer, and on and on. It's funny how that self-talk can take your mind off the negative and you end up being okay. I made it to work and my face didn't even freeze off.

November in a bike shop in Iowa. Nuff said. That was tough. I think working during this time of year is actually harder than it is when we can't get ahead on jobs. Too much time on my hands makes for a long day. Of course, we'd all rather be busier now, but this cold intrusion has pretty much chased all but the most hardcore cyclist off the trails and roads. Even some of them are doing their "smart trainer" work indoors now.

Flood waters that had yet to evaporate or get absorbed by the ground are now beginning to freeze.

The ride home promised to be warmer, but for whatever reason, I felt just as cold as I did in the morning. Weird! I took the long way home from work, doing the out and back on Shirey Way and then cruising Riverside Trail over toward Waterloo and my neck of the woods. The Northwave boots I talked about yesterday are looking to be pretty good. I wasn't cold in the feet on the way to work and an hour ride after work proved to leave my toes just "chilly", but considering I had sweat in my shoes at work...... Well, more testing needs to be done there.

The weather is supposed to moderate to highs in the upper 30's, maybe low 40's? That will feel like a heatwave after this cold shot. I will be enjoying it the best I can. You know it won't last, because we are nearly halfway to December and Winter will be in full force, or it should be, by that time.

It's About Materials Technology

The things that come down the pike never cease to amaze me.

The shop where I work at, now going on past 16 years, is a wealth of old knowledge. I've heard, seen, and done, so many things I never would have dreamed about, that it makes my head spin to think on it all. One thing I've learned is to never think you've seen it all. 

Many times this can be applied to something new. My boss and I always shake our heads and say, "It's all about the materials technology". Many ideas have existed in cycling for years, decades even, just waiting for technology to catch up so it can become a viable product for you and I.

Take these wheels, as a for instance. They are from Enve Composites. Ten years ago now I got to test some 700c hoops from them, back when they were still called "Edge Composites". This was for the old "Twenty Nine Inches" gig I once was involved in. Well, you know, ten years ago, anything carbon meant for 29"ers was rare. Like super rare. So, rims for 29"ers in carbon? I mean, we were barely seeing mountain bike rims of any sort made from carbon fiber in 2008. It was an amazing thing.

Those ended up being sub-1500 gram wheels. At that time it was considered super-light for a 29" wheel set with disc hubs. Now days? Pffft! That's average. Why? Materials technologies. Plain and simple.

These Enve wheels pictured here? Sub-1300 gram wheels. Not only that, but they have a wider internal rim width, wider rim edges, (for anti-pinch flat characteristics), and through axle compatibility. They are tested to mountain bike standards, and are tubeless compatible. Those old Edge wheels were narrower, had clincher hook beads, and weren't tubeless. Crazy how far things have come in ten years. Heck, Tour de France riders weren't on wheels this light ten, fifteen years ago. Now anyone can have wheels like this. Well...........if you can afford them.

Remember- never think you've seen it all.

It's About Materials Technology

The things that come down the pike never cease to amaze me.

The shop where I work at, now going on past 16 years, is a wealth of old knowledge. I've heard, seen, and done, so many things I never would have dreamed about, that it makes my head spin to think on it all. One thing I've learned is to never think you've seen it all. 

Many times this can be applied to something new. My boss and I always shake our heads and say, "It's all about the materials technology". Many ideas have existed in cycling for years, decades even, just waiting for technology to catch up so it can become a viable product for you and I.

Take these wheels, as a for instance. They are from Enve Composites. Ten years ago now I got to test some 700c hoops from them, back when they were still called "Edge Composites". This was for the old "Twenty Nine Inches" gig I once was involved in. Well, you know, ten years ago, anything carbon meant for 29"ers was rare. Like super rare. So, rims for 29"ers in carbon? I mean, we were barely seeing mountain bike rims of any sort made from carbon fiber in 2008. It was an amazing thing.

Those ended up being sub-1500 gram wheels. At that time it was considered super-light for a 29" wheel set with disc hubs. Now days? Pffft! That's average. Why? Materials technologies. Plain and simple.

These Enve wheels pictured here? Sub-1300 gram wheels. Not only that, but they have a wider internal rim width, wider rim edges, (for anti-pinch flat characteristics), and through axle compatibility. They are tested to mountain bike standards, and are tubeless compatible. Those old Edge wheels were narrower, had clincher hook beads, and weren't tubeless. Crazy how far things have come in ten years. Heck, Tour de France riders weren't on wheels this light ten, fifteen years ago. Now anyone can have wheels like this. Well...........if you can afford them.

Remember- never think you've seen it all.

News Season: Part 2- Enve Fat Fork And Fat Wheels

The Enve Fat Bike Fork has some serious gram savings.

Enve Debuts New Fat Bike Fork and Carbon Wheel Set For Fat Bikes:

Enve Composites has been around a while now and probably are most well known for the high quality carbon rims for both mountain bikes and road bikes. But they have dabbled in components since the beginning as well. Enve has a long history with carbon forks and they have also done seat posts, stems, and handlebars.

Today Enve has announced a fat bike fork and a carbon fat bike rim/wheel set. The fork is simply called the Fat Bike Fork and it is not only lightweight, but it is compatible with 26" and 27.5" fat bike wheels.

The clever addition of a flip chip in the drop out allows for the fine tuning of the fork offset to optimize the handling for either wheel size. The obvious is here- 15mm X 150mm through axle, 1 1/4"-1 1/2" tapered steer tube, and a claimed weight of 748 grams. Axle to crown is 490mm and the offset can be set at 51mm or 42mm depending on the position of the flip chips in the drop out. Recommended rotor size is 160mm-203mm. Tire Clearance- 26" X 5.2" - 27.5" X 4.8" maximum. The fork has internally routed brake capability as well.

The MSRP on the Fat Bike Fork is $625.00 and is available for pre-order now. Shipping pre-orders should happen at the end of November.

Comments: The weight is nice, and the clearances are nice, and that dual wheel size compatibility is really nice! That was a nice touch from Enve as the fat bike market is kind of split between 26 and 27.5 wheel sizes right now. You would be good to go either way with this offering. Yeah.......it isn't a bike packer's pick, but I've also heard a few seasoned fat bikers say that weighting the front is bad for trying to traverse softer terrain. Hmm......

I've got a carbon fork on the Ti Mukluk, and the differences in ride characteristics based on the lighter weight alone make the switch an attractive one here. A seemingly minor detail- the internal brake routing- is actually a big deal to me. Getting a fat bike, one actually used in severe conditions like ungroomed snow, mud, and sand, the sleekest and smoothest that you can makes the going easier. I can't tell you how many times I've had to pick mud, or clear snow off that was stuck to the exposed brake line. Then again- you can always run sans front brake. That's what a lot of bushwhacking fat bikers do.

Enve's M685 fat bike wheels. Also available as a rim only.

The wheels are from Enve's M Series so these are "trail rated" and not just for snow, as some other rims out there are only rated for snow riding. They also feature Enve's first asymmetric molded spoke hole design which also accommodates fat bike wheels wider bracing angles. The rim profile was designed to shed snow and not allow build up.

Using a tubeless design, these rims don't need a wide rim strip. They also have a hookless bead design. The rims feature an 85mm inner rim width which should accommodate most fat bike tires out there. The rims are being made in both 27.5" and 26" diameters and the target weight is 600 grams for each rim.

The rims are available separately in both diameters offered at $999.00 MSRP each. The rims can also be purchased built up to Industry 9 hubs with a 150mm front/190mm rear spacing. Complete wheels are set to retail at $2800.00

Comments: Enve will be Enve, so the prices on these U.S. manufactured rims is no surprise. That said, it's hard to make a case for these in terms of price unless you value the claimed durability and the specific features of the rim's design. When every gram counts and durability cannot be compromised, yeah..... I can see getting these. They are a premium product and therefore you have to pay the price. If you just want lighter fat bike wheels and don't do anything extreme, well maybe something else would trip your trigger. A Whiskey No. 9 100 rim is wider, almost as light, and costs less than half as much per rim as the Enve does, for example.

Both wheel sizes are supported again here, so that is cool. I like the thought that went into making these trail rated, because, who knows? You might end up mountain biking your fat bike someday and knowing the rims are going to handle it is a nice chunk of "mind peace" to have. 

Note: Images and information were provided by Enve Composites.

News Season: Part 2- Enve Fat Fork And Fat Wheels

The Enve Fat Bike Fork has some serious gram savings.

Enve Debuts New Fat Bike Fork and Carbon Wheel Set For Fat Bikes:

Enve Composites has been around a while now and probably are most well known for the high quality carbon rims for both mountain bikes and road bikes. But they have dabbled in components since the beginning as well. Enve has a long history with carbon forks and they have also done seat posts, stems, and handlebars.

Today Enve has announced a fat bike fork and a carbon fat bike rim/wheel set. The fork is simply called the Fat Bike Fork and it is not only lightweight, but it is compatible with 26" and 27.5" fat bike wheels.

The clever addition of a flip chip in the drop out allows for the fine tuning of the fork offset to optimize the handling for either wheel size. The obvious is here- 15mm X 150mm through axle, 1 1/4"-1 1/2" tapered steer tube, and a claimed weight of 748 grams. Axle to crown is 490mm and the offset can be set at 51mm or 42mm depending on the position of the flip chips in the drop out. Recommended rotor size is 160mm-203mm. Tire Clearance- 26" X 5.2" - 27.5" X 4.8" maximum. The fork has internally routed brake capability as well.

The MSRP on the Fat Bike Fork is $625.00 and is available for pre-order now. Shipping pre-orders should happen at the end of November.

Comments: The weight is nice, and the clearances are nice, and that dual wheel size compatibility is really nice! That was a nice touch from Enve as the fat bike market is kind of split between 26 and 27.5 wheel sizes right now. You would be good to go either way with this offering. Yeah.......it isn't a bike packer's pick, but I've also heard a few seasoned fat bikers say that weighting the front is bad for trying to traverse softer terrain. Hmm......

I've got a carbon fork on the Ti Mukluk, and the differences in ride characteristics based on the lighter weight alone make the switch an attractive one here. A seemingly minor detail- the internal brake routing- is actually a big deal to me. Getting a fat bike, one actually used in severe conditions like ungroomed snow, mud, and sand, the sleekest and smoothest that you can makes the going easier. I can't tell you how many times I've had to pick mud, or clear snow off that was stuck to the exposed brake line. Then again- you can always run sans front brake. That's what a lot of bushwhacking fat bikers do.

Enve's M685 fat bike wheels. Also available as a rim only.

The wheels are from Enve's M Series so these are "trail rated" and not just for snow, as some other rims out there are only rated for snow riding. They also feature Enve's first asymmetric molded spoke hole design which also accommodates fat bike wheels wider bracing angles. The rim profile was designed to shed snow and not allow build up.

Using a tubeless design, these rims don't need a wide rim strip. They also have a hookless bead design. The rims feature an 85mm inner rim width which should accommodate most fat bike tires out there. The rims are being made in both 27.5" and 26" diameters and the target weight is 600 grams for each rim.

The rims are available separately in both diameters offered at $999.00 MSRP each. The rims can also be purchased built up to Industry 9 hubs with a 150mm front/190mm rear spacing. Complete wheels are set to retail at $2800.00

Comments: Enve will be Enve, so the prices on these U.S. manufactured rims is no surprise. That said, it's hard to make a case for these in terms of price unless you value the claimed durability and the specific features of the rim's design. When every gram counts and durability cannot be compromised, yeah..... I can see getting these. They are a premium product and therefore you have to pay the price. If you just want lighter fat bike wheels and don't do anything extreme, well maybe something else would trip your trigger. A Whiskey No. 9 100 rim is wider, almost as light, and costs less than half as much per rim as the Enve does, for example.

Both wheel sizes are supported again here, so that is cool. I like the thought that went into making these trail rated, because, who knows? You might end up mountain biking your fat bike someday and knowing the rims are going to handle it is a nice chunk of "mind peace" to have. 

Note: Images and information were provided by Enve Composites.

Minus Ten Review- 41

Sun dappled trees on the North Side of Camp Ingawanis in 2008.

Ten years ago here on the blog I was doing some Fall mtb riding which was spectacular. Of course, this was mostly being done on the north side of Camp Ingawanis back then. Those trails were so awesome, and yet, for as much as I talked about them a decade ago, hardly a soul would come up to ride them. Now days the mere mention of those trails is like speaking of a mystery to riders here. Most people I know riding now have never ridden that side.

I was also talking about some Enve, (Edge Composites back then) rims for 29"ers. This was a big, big deal in 2008. Carbon rims for mountain biking were barely a thing and here I had a set of 29"er hoops to test? Crazy! Enve claimed a set should last, easily they said, for a decade. Well, I am here to tell you that is indeed the case, as these wheels are still being ridden, as far as I know, since I sold them several years back now to a rider who lives in Duluth now. So yeah.... I guess they were right! 

I remember thinking then that a decade on the same wheels is unheard of. Who does that? I know......it happens, but it didn't too often. I had a set of Campy hoops that I ended up blowing up on my commuter bike back in the day that were a decade old, but I didn't know many folks that mountain biked the same set of wheels for very long. I suppose carbon hoops have changed that now.

The other interesting thing is that those old Edge rims are pretty much gravel riding rims now. In the last decade, inner rim width for mtb has ballooned to plus 25mm in most cases. These rims were 28mm outer width, as I recall, so yeah...... Basically what we'd use for gravel travel now.

White colored components- What were we thinking?!!

Do you remember that trend for white colored components? That was ten years ago now. Man! That was an odd deal. Everything got the white treatment. Forks, stems, rims, and even brake sets!

Companies kept sending white stuff to be tested up until about 2012 or so, then it seemed to fade away. I know the white forks were "okay", but those rims? Gah! Those were just butt ugly. I'm glad I got rid of all the wheels I had that were white.

And brakes shouldn't be white either. I figured that out pretty quickly. DOT brake fluid and painted components weren't a good thing to mix together. But, we don't have to worry about that anymore, and let's hope we never have to again!

I also tackled the misconceptions regarding the Fargo, which had just debuted at Interbike. Folks were put out because a frame and fork, initially the only way you could get a Fargo then, was going to be $650.00 MSRP. Surly Cross Checks were going for $400.00 ten years ago. I am not going to rehash the arguments for and against the Fargo. That ship has long since sailed and those arguments, obviously, are a moot point. But those prices are interesting.

You can still get a Cross Check reasonably cheap. Generally, for around $500.00, a Cross Check frame and fork can still be had ten years down the road. However; the Fargo would be closer to $900.00 in today's money. That seems weird, but consider this- A Cross Check is pretty much unchanged from its form that it had in 2008. A Fargo? It isn't anything like it was ten years ago! That's the big difference. Plus, a Fargo will have a carbon fiber fork now.

If Salsa had kept a 2009-ish style Fargo in the line, it may have only gone up about a hundred bucks also.  But, we will never know.

Minus Ten Review- 41

Sun dappled trees on the North Side of Camp Ingawanis in 2008.

Ten years ago here on the blog I was doing some Fall mtb riding which was spectacular. Of course, this was mostly being done on the north side of Camp Ingawanis back then. Those trails were so awesome, and yet, for as much as I talked about them a decade ago, hardly a soul would come up to ride them. Now days the mere mention of those trails is like speaking of a mystery to riders here. Most people I know riding now have never ridden that side.

I was also talking about some Enve, (Edge Composites back then) rims for 29"ers. This was a big, big deal in 2008. Carbon rims for mountain biking were barely a thing and here I had a set of 29"er hoops to test? Crazy! Enve claimed a set should last, easily they said, for a decade. Well, I am here to tell you that is indeed the case, as these wheels are still being ridden, as far as I know, since I sold them several years back now to a rider who lives in Duluth now. So yeah.... I guess they were right! 

I remember thinking then that a decade on the same wheels is unheard of. Who does that? I know......it happens, but it didn't too often. I had a set of Campy hoops that I ended up blowing up on my commuter bike back in the day that were a decade old, but I didn't know many folks that mountain biked the same set of wheels for very long. I suppose carbon hoops have changed that now.

The other interesting thing is that those old Edge rims are pretty much gravel riding rims now. In the last decade, inner rim width for mtb has ballooned to plus 25mm in most cases. These rims were 28mm outer width, as I recall, so yeah...... Basically what we'd use for gravel travel now.

White colored components- What were we thinking?!!

Do you remember that trend for white colored components? That was ten years ago now. Man! That was an odd deal. Everything got the white treatment. Forks, stems, rims, and even brake sets!

Companies kept sending white stuff to be tested up until about 2012 or so, then it seemed to fade away. I know the white forks were "okay", but those rims? Gah! Those were just butt ugly. I'm glad I got rid of all the wheels I had that were white.

And brakes shouldn't be white either. I figured that out pretty quickly. DOT brake fluid and painted components weren't a good thing to mix together. But, we don't have to worry about that anymore, and let's hope we never have to again!

I also tackled the misconceptions regarding the Fargo, which had just debuted at Interbike. Folks were put out because a frame and fork, initially the only way you could get a Fargo then, was going to be $650.00 MSRP. Surly Cross Checks were going for $400.00 ten years ago. I am not going to rehash the arguments for and against the Fargo. That ship has long since sailed and those arguments, obviously, are a moot point. But those prices are interesting.

You can still get a Cross Check reasonably cheap. Generally, for around $500.00, a Cross Check frame and fork can still be had ten years down the road. However; the Fargo would be closer to $900.00 in today's money. That seems weird, but consider this- A Cross Check is pretty much unchanged from its form that it had in 2008. A Fargo? It isn't anything like it was ten years ago! That's the big difference. Plus, a Fargo will have a carbon fiber fork now.

If Salsa had kept a 2009-ish style Fargo in the line, it may have only gone up about a hundred bucks also.  But, we will never know.