Shoulder Season

45NRTH Ragnorok

Weather has a huge effect on how you dress for a ride on your bike. Summer is minimalist and during Winter, (if you ride at all) you layer up and armor yourself against the elements. But the inbetween seasons of Spring and Fall, which some wiseacre marketing wonk has called "Shoulder Seasons", is a different animal. Temperature swings during these times of year cause consternation. Too cold in the morning for shorts and short sleeves but where do you put the windbreaker and arm warmers at 11:00am when it is getting too hot for that stuff? Fall can be nice in the afternoon, but as the Sun lowers the air temperature may dip and the toes get cold. Wish you would have toted along those overshoes?

Call it what you will, Spring and Fall weather is challenging every day in a different way most times. Besides covering and uncovering extremities during rides, getting your feet happy was the other major issue to be faced. Many times Spring and Fall are wet and cold, which is a deadly combination for feet. Wearing shoe covers was what you did, but with their open bottoms to allow for a pedal cleat to engage the binding of the pedal, and generally sketchy construction over all, shoe covers usually didn't do a whole lot of good for very long.

That's why when 45NRTH first came out with the Fasterkatt, I was blown away. Here was a boot made to be worn during "shoulder seasons" and was built to withstand water intrusion, keep feet dry, and wind out. It worked way better than shoe covers despite some serious issues regarding the zipper and some other technical parts of the boot's construction. 45NRTH has since done two revisions, calling them different model names since, and the idea has been mimicked by other companies as well. Louis Garneau did a version that looked good, but the sizing was wonky. Now there is a newer version of this idea from Northwave called the Extreme XCM 2 GTX.

Northwave Extreme XCM GTX boots.

I received a pair of the Northwaves to test for RidingGravel.com. I got them out of the box, and much like the new 45NRTH Ragnoroks, the advances in design are impressive. The materials mate up in a seamless fashion, the construction is sleek. Where plastics and rubbers meet fabric you see no defects. The different rotating retention device, (it isn't a BOA), is awesome and works well.

It's amazing to me that shoe covers/booties/whatchamallcallem's are still a thing. Well.......yeah, they are cheaper to buy. Sure, I get that, but they are a total compromise in most situations I have ever used them for. In fact, I bought a pair of shoe covers last year to finish out testing some Summer shoes I had due to the end of the review period coming in late Fall. These were really nice covers, but they weren't going to do the basic job of keeping my feet warm when the shoe underneath was all about keeping my feet cool.

So, these boots are expensive, yes. But, if you could ride in comfort, without having your piggies go numb, then why not get a pair? I figured that a decent set of shoe covers goes for around $50.00 and can be as high as $100.00 for a pair. Spending that much money every couple of years, (because that is about how long they typically last used regularly), and you are getting into a price spent which makes these boots, which last years with reasonable care, make a lot of sense. My 45NRTH Fasterkatts are at least five years old and still going strong. These Northwave boots are made even better, so I suspect that they would last at least as long, if not longer. All those seasons of better coverage, warmer toes, and drier feet make the hundreds you spend up front worth it, in my opinion.

I mean, it's crazy to think that we spend hundreds on saddles, bars/grips, and yet feet get the frugal treatment. It doesn't make sense. By the way, this goes for socks as well. It's weird. Everyone seems to want to cheap out on their feet, and I should mention pedals also. Whatever. I'm not wearing shoe covers unless I have to. These boots are a way better solution.

Shoulder Season

45NRTH Ragnorok

Weather has a huge effect on how you dress for a ride on your bike. Summer is minimalist and during Winter, (if you ride at all) you layer up and armor yourself against the elements. But the inbetween seasons of Spring and Fall, which some wiseacre marketing wonk has called "Shoulder Seasons", is a different animal. Temperature swings during these times of year cause consternation. Too cold in the morning for shorts and short sleeves but where do you put the windbreaker and arm warmers at 11:00am when it is getting too hot for that stuff? Fall can be nice in the afternoon, but as the Sun lowers the air temperature may dip and the toes get cold. Wish you would have toted along those overshoes?

Call it what you will, Spring and Fall weather is challenging every day in a different way most times. Besides covering and uncovering extremities during rides, getting your feet happy was the other major issue to be faced. Many times Spring and Fall are wet and cold, which is a deadly combination for feet. Wearing shoe covers was what you did, but with their open bottoms to allow for a pedal cleat to engage the binding of the pedal, and generally sketchy construction over all, shoe covers usually didn't do a whole lot of good for very long.

That's why when 45NRTH first came out with the Fasterkatt, I was blown away. Here was a boot made to be worn during "shoulder seasons" and was built to withstand water intrusion, keep feet dry, and wind out. It worked way better than shoe covers despite some serious issues regarding the zipper and some other technical parts of the boot's construction. 45NRTH has since done two revisions, calling them different model names since, and the idea has been mimicked by other companies as well. Louis Garneau did a version that looked good, but the sizing was wonky. Now there is a newer version of this idea from Northwave called the Extreme XCM 2 GTX.

Northwave Extreme XCM GTX boots.

I received a pair of the Northwaves to test for RidingGravel.com. I got them out of the box, and much like the new 45NRTH Ragnoroks, the advances in design are impressive. The materials mate up in a seamless fashion, the construction is sleek. Where plastics and rubbers meet fabric you see no defects. The different rotating retention device, (it isn't a BOA), is awesome and works well.

It's amazing to me that shoe covers/booties/whatchamallcallem's are still a thing. Well.......yeah, they are cheaper to buy. Sure, I get that, but they are a total compromise in most situations I have ever used them for. In fact, I bought a pair of shoe covers last year to finish out testing some Summer shoes I had due to the end of the review period coming in late Fall. These were really nice covers, but they weren't going to do the basic job of keeping my feet warm when the shoe underneath was all about keeping my feet cool.

So, these boots are expensive, yes. But, if you could ride in comfort, without having your piggies go numb, then why not get a pair? I figured that a decent set of shoe covers goes for around $50.00 and can be as high as $100.00 for a pair. Spending that much money every couple of years, (because that is about how long they typically last used regularly), and you are getting into a price spent which makes these boots, which last years with reasonable care, make a lot of sense. My 45NRTH Fasterkatts are at least five years old and still going strong. These Northwave boots are made even better, so I suspect that they would last at least as long, if not longer. All those seasons of better coverage, warmer toes, and drier feet make the hundreds you spend up front worth it, in my opinion.

I mean, it's crazy to think that we spend hundreds on saddles, bars/grips, and yet feet get the frugal treatment. It doesn't make sense. By the way, this goes for socks as well. It's weird. Everyone seems to want to cheap out on their feet, and I should mention pedals also. Whatever. I'm not wearing shoe covers unless I have to. These boots are a way better solution.

News Season: Pre-Interbike Intros

Hayduke Lives: Esker Cycles Hayduke steel hardtail

Note: A bonus post detailing some interesting bits that are coming out around the time of the Interbike trade show, which happens this coming week in Reno, Nevada. I won't be there, but anything I find interesting, I'll post here if I think it warrants it. Thanks!

Hard tail mountain bikes were, arguably, brought back from the dead by the 29 inch wheel in the early 00's. Steel hard tails led the way back then, and with the advent of adventure cycling and "bikepacking", steel hard tails have reserved a special place in the hearts and minds of many off road cyclists, this one included. All my current off-road bikes are steel. Even a couple I don't even have up and running!

Salsa Cycles axed its venerable and long running El Mariachi model a few years ago now, and since then the crown for the best steel, mass produced hard tail 29"er has been passed around to a few companies. Niner Bikes came out with a revised SIR 9 a while back that most closely approximated what I felt was an "evolution" of the El Mariachi. Another contender for that was the Advocate Cycles Hayduke model. But then the company, and its bikes, sort of faded away. However; recently the folks behind Advocate have revised their business model, canned Advocate, and re-branded and launched a new company called "Esker Cycles". They brought the Hayduke over, albeit a new Hayduke with some new frame tubing and minor geometry tweaks.

Since this has the closest relationship, via one of the company's principals, to the old El Mar, I would say that the successor to the El Mar has to the Hayduke, a fully modern steel hard tail. A choice of two swappable rear drop out plates,  multi-wheel size and drive train capabilities, and a price for the frame, rear through axle, Wolf Tooth head set, and seat collar at $675.00 make this look pretty attractive. Completes will be offered starting at 2G. Pretty cool. Plus, it is supposed to be lighter and more responsive than the original Hayduke. See Esker's site linked above for more.

The new 45NRTH Ragnorok Boot

45NRTH Introduces Third Generation Transition Season Boot:

45NRTH is kind of a funny company when it comes to its naming conventions. Their tires are often named after obscure black metal bands or old Minneapolis area punk bands. Their boots get renamed every time they offer an evolution on the old design.

Yeah........so, think of this as the latest version of the Fasterkatt, only with several design changes and upgrades. The last model, which supplanted the Fasterkatt, was the Japanther. This, the Ragnorok, would be version three, if I am counting correctly.

Anyway...... The Ragnorok features a move to the BOA closure system and a rubberized, neoprene upper "sock"which has been redesigned as well. The silver edition, shown here at left, is fully reflective and will retail at $235.00. A non-reflective, black upper model is offered as well at $195.00. The soles, by the way, look like a dead ringer for my first edition Fasterkatt's, so apparently no changes were made there.

The shop where I work received a full size run of these boots and they look like a great boot. I still rock the original Fasterkatt boots and they have been rock solid for me as a way to ride in conditions which are wet and cold down to about 25 F, but much below that and my feet get chilled. These Ragnorok's are rated similarly, and I've no doubt they are actually better made and function better than my Fasterkatts do. Available at 45NRTH dealers now......

SKS Bluemels 65mm Fenders

SKS Offers New Blumels 65mm Fender Set:

SKS is a German based company best known for inflation devices and fenders. They make a full line of fenders which are well known in certain cycling circles.

Being introduced at Interbike this year, and available at dealers in November, is this new Bluemels 65mm fender suitable for 29"ers. SKS claims the front fender is 680mm long and the rear is 920mm long. MSRP is set at $74.99.

The only image I got was of what looks like a rear fender. You can make out some wide clearanced stays and what appears to be a rubber edge on the end of the fender itself. If this is indeed a rear fender, I would judge from the image that coverage is not all the way down the back, so perhaps this is meant more for mountain bike/off-road use.

But that said, it might be a handy design for bikes like Fargos and the lot which are used across a wide range of terrains and in varying conditions. I could see this being very useful for early season "sloppy" gravel rides or for those commutes where run-off from daytime melting is a concern during Winter.

SKS is also introducing a foot pump. I see another inflation device selling company is also doing a foot operated bicycle pump. Maybe this is a new thing for the near future. Ditch that old floor pump with a handle and tall profile that is so tippy! Use your feet instead! Ha! Well, to be fair, when I was a younginz, these types of foot operated pumps were still around. They were a relic even back then, but apparently the idea is being revived for 2019.

Stay tuned for more as I get things in...........

News Season: Pre-Interbike Intros

Hayduke Lives: Esker Cycles Hayduke steel hardtail

Note: A bonus post detailing some interesting bits that are coming out around the time of the Interbike trade show, which happens this coming week in Reno, Nevada. I won't be there, but anything I find interesting, I'll post here if I think it warrants it. Thanks!

Hard tail mountain bikes were, arguably, brought back from the dead by the 29 inch wheel in the early 00's. Steel hard tails led the way back then, and with the advent of adventure cycling and "bikepacking", steel hard tails have reserved a special place in the hearts and minds of many off road cyclists, this one included. All my current off-road bikes are steel. Even a couple I don't even have up and running!

Salsa Cycles axed its venerable and long running El Mariachi model a few years ago now, and since then the crown for the best steel, mass produced hard tail 29"er has been passed around to a few companies. Niner Bikes came out with a revised SIR 9 a while back that most closely approximated what I felt was an "evolution" of the El Mariachi. Another contender for that was the Advocate Cycles Hayduke model. But then the company, and its bikes, sort of faded away. However; recently the folks behind Advocate have revised their business model, canned Advocate, and re-branded and launched a new company called "Esker Cycles". They brought the Hayduke over, albeit a new Hayduke with some new frame tubing and minor geometry tweaks.

Since this has the closest relationship, via one of the company's principals, to the old El Mar, I would say that the successor to the El Mar has to the Hayduke, a fully modern steel hard tail. A choice of two swappable rear drop out plates,  multi-wheel size and drive train capabilities, and a price for the frame, rear through axle, Wolf Tooth head set, and seat collar at $675.00 make this look pretty attractive. Completes will be offered starting at 2G. Pretty cool. Plus, it is supposed to be lighter and more responsive than the original Hayduke. See Esker's site linked above for more.

The new 45NRTH Ragnorok Boot

45NRTH Introduces Third Generation Transition Season Boot:

45NRTH is kind of a funny company when it comes to its naming conventions. Their tires are often named after obscure black metal bands or old Minneapolis area punk bands. Their boots get renamed every time they offer an evolution on the old design.

Yeah........so, think of this as the latest version of the Fasterkatt, only with several design changes and upgrades. The last model, which supplanted the Fasterkatt, was the Japanther. This, the Ragnorok, would be version three, if I am counting correctly.

Anyway...... The Ragnorok features a move to the BOA closure system and a rubberized, neoprene upper "sock"which has been redesigned as well. The silver edition, shown here at left, is fully reflective and will retail at $235.00. A non-reflective, black upper model is offered as well at $195.00. The soles, by the way, look like a dead ringer for my first edition Fasterkatt's, so apparently no changes were made there.

The shop where I work received a full size run of these boots and they look like a great boot. I still rock the original Fasterkatt boots and they have been rock solid for me as a way to ride in conditions which are wet and cold down to about 25 F, but much below that and my feet get chilled. These Ragnorok's are rated similarly, and I've no doubt they are actually better made and function better than my Fasterkatts do. Available at 45NRTH dealers now......

SKS Bluemels 65mm Fenders

SKS Offers New Blumels 65mm Fender Set:

SKS is a German based company best known for inflation devices and fenders. They make a full line of fenders which are well known in certain cycling circles.

Being introduced at Interbike this year, and available at dealers in November, is this new Bluemels 65mm fender suitable for 29"ers. SKS claims the front fender is 680mm long and the rear is 920mm long. MSRP is set at $74.99.

The only image I got was of what looks like a rear fender. You can make out some wide clearanced stays and what appears to be a rubber edge on the end of the fender itself. If this is indeed a rear fender, I would judge from the image that coverage is not all the way down the back, so perhaps this is meant more for mountain bike/off-road use.

But that said, it might be a handy design for bikes like Fargos and the lot which are used across a wide range of terrains and in varying conditions. I could see this being very useful for early season "sloppy" gravel rides or for those commutes where run-off from daytime melting is a concern during Winter.

SKS is also introducing a foot pump. I see another inflation device selling company is also doing a foot operated bicycle pump. Maybe this is a new thing for the near future. Ditch that old floor pump with a handle and tall profile that is so tippy! Use your feet instead! Ha! Well, to be fair, when I was a younginz, these types of foot operated pumps were still around. They were a relic even back then, but apparently the idea is being revived for 2019.

Stay tuned for more as I get things in...........

Friday News And Views

Ritchey finally has their gravel road bike available.

Ritchey Announces Availability Of Their Gravel Bike:

From the company whose head honch said, "All road bikes are gravel bikes", comes a bike designed specifically for gravel road riding.

I know........I know. 

Marketing 180's and trends aside, here are a couple of things I noted about this bike now that it is out and the geometry and spec has been revealed.

First of all, it is a 1X specific bike. (Note- While the videos I saw showed the bike as a 1X I have been corrected and it is front derailleur compatible. Thanks to you commenters for being astute and pointing that out) That is certainly on trend, but it is certainly a deal killer for many folks. We can debate the 1X vs 2X for gravel all day long, but here is my take on that in a nutshell: 1X designs cater to the gravel rider with mtb leanings. Whether or not 1X for gravel makes any sense or not is another debate, but simply from the mtb side, you can see why 1X is being pushed here. It indicates to me that several companies aren't sure what a gravel bike is so they are shooting darts at a target they cannot see. In the end, they interpret the genre' from their viewpoint. Ritchey is based on the West Coast, they are a mountain bike heavy company, and their lens for seeing the gravel world is West Coast based. Taken in that light, I get it. Again- whether or not that is right is some other discussion. UPDATE: So, I got that part wrong. However; as stated all the press release stuff I've seen shows the bike as a 1X with no technical bullet points leading me to believe otherwise. But I never saw the website on the bike, and that's my fault. Sorry about the misinformation here. Perhaps, as one commenter implied on a post earlier, I am getting senile. Oh well! That said, because the bike is featured as a 1X in the promotions for this rig, I will still leave in my take on why the Ritchey folks set it up that way.


Secondly- This bike has zero braze ons. None other than water bottle mounts. This also speaks to the Ritchey design type over the years where a race focused, stripped down, purposeful bike has been the norm rather than the exception from that company. However; in my opinion, it limits the appeal of the bike. The Ritchey Ascent, another "adventure based" design, seems to have all these braze on points, but it is only offered in the Breakaway version which adds a lot of cost to the frame and fork. It looks like "Riding Gravel" is going to get a go on one of these Outbacks, so stay tuned for that if it happens.

I attended a People For Bikes Draft meeting Thursday evening.

 Let's Talk Bikes:

The organization, "People For Bikes", is well known amongst those who stay close to advocacy issues for cyclists. Recently they have helped organize "meet ups" where local cycling communities can gather for beers and conversations to get to know what is up in their area as far as cycling initiatives go. They call it "Draft"

I went to the Waterloo, Iowa event held at Single Speed Brewery. There I learned why the Park Avenue bike lanes seem so jacked up, (they are just a beginning and a work in progress), I learned about a new bike share company called "Koloni", (aiming at getting low cost bike shares at trail heads and communities outside of large metropolitan areas), and how the Cedar Valley Nature Trail needs funds to maintain and repair infrastructure that will make it a complete trail again. Plus I heard from a couple of local State legislators on issues concerning cyclists in Iowa. I met a few folks and hung out with some acquaintances.

Oh......and I had a few beers!

The meeting was well attended and received. I thought I came away from it enriched and more knowledgeable in our areas cycling culture. There will be a Draft meet-up in Des Moines on January 25th, so you folks down that way should show up and check it out. It is good stuff. Draft is also being held in other communities across the nation. Check it out here.

Fairies wear booties. Just ask Ozzy.

Okay......One More Time!

I used to wear booties, or "shoe covers", if you'd rather, all the time whenever the weather got cold. They pretty much sucked. All of them. Then came the 45NRTH boots with the "shoe cover" built in. Wow! What an improvement.

Yes, those boots had their issues, (I still rock them, by the way), but the basic premise was brilliant. While it meant that you had to buy another pair of cycling specific footwear, who doesn't like shoes and boots? Okay, maybe if you are a Hobbit, but otherwise......

So, I swore off booties and I figured as long as I could get these "tweener" season boots, I was going to go that route. Then came these Bont shoes in for review on Riding Gravel. Obviously, going deeper into Fall and approaching Winter fast, those shoes weren't going to be optimal without additional armoring against the bitter winds and cold, frosty air. That's when I figured I had better take another look at booties. (Apologies to those who say "shoe covers". For me, these will forever be "booties")

I work at a Trek/Bontrager dealer so I took home these Bontrager RXL Waterproof "booties". Well, I must admit. Things have changed a bit since I last wore these accursed booties of doom. They are actually not too bad. A big pain to draw over your shoes, but they look well designed and as long as they do not come apart, expose my toes, or get snagged in the drive train, I'll be good. Time will tell.

Okay, that wraps up another Friday News And Views. Take care and have an awesome weekend!

Friday News And Views

Ritchey finally has their gravel road bike available.

Ritchey Announces Availability Of Their Gravel Bike:

From the company whose head honch said, "All road bikes are gravel bikes", comes a bike designed specifically for gravel road riding.

I know........I know. 

Marketing 180's and trends aside, here are a couple of things I noted about this bike now that it is out and the geometry and spec has been revealed.

First of all, it is a 1X specific bike. (Note- While the videos I saw showed the bike as a 1X I have been corrected and it is front derailleur compatible. Thanks to you commenters for being astute and pointing that out) That is certainly on trend, but it is certainly a deal killer for many folks. We can debate the 1X vs 2X for gravel all day long, but here is my take on that in a nutshell: 1X designs cater to the gravel rider with mtb leanings. Whether or not 1X for gravel makes any sense or not is another debate, but simply from the mtb side, you can see why 1X is being pushed here. It indicates to me that several companies aren't sure what a gravel bike is so they are shooting darts at a target they cannot see. In the end, they interpret the genre' from their viewpoint. Ritchey is based on the West Coast, they are a mountain bike heavy company, and their lens for seeing the gravel world is West Coast based. Taken in that light, I get it. Again- whether or not that is right is some other discussion. UPDATE: So, I got that part wrong. However; as stated all the press release stuff I've seen shows the bike as a 1X with no technical bullet points leading me to believe otherwise. But I never saw the website on the bike, and that's my fault. Sorry about the misinformation here. Perhaps, as one commenter implied on a post earlier, I am getting senile. Oh well! That said, because the bike is featured as a 1X in the promotions for this rig, I will still leave in my take on why the Ritchey folks set it up that way.


Secondly- This bike has zero braze ons. None other than water bottle mounts. This also speaks to the Ritchey design type over the years where a race focused, stripped down, purposeful bike has been the norm rather than the exception from that company. However; in my opinion, it limits the appeal of the bike. The Ritchey Ascent, another "adventure based" design, seems to have all these braze on points, but it is only offered in the Breakaway version which adds a lot of cost to the frame and fork. It looks like "Riding Gravel" is going to get a go on one of these Outbacks, so stay tuned for that if it happens.

I attended a People For Bikes Draft meeting Thursday evening.

 Let's Talk Bikes:

The organization, "People For Bikes", is well known amongst those who stay close to advocacy issues for cyclists. Recently they have helped organize "meet ups" where local cycling communities can gather for beers and conversations to get to know what is up in their area as far as cycling initiatives go. They call it "Draft"

I went to the Waterloo, Iowa event held at Single Speed Brewery. There I learned why the Park Avenue bike lanes seem so jacked up, (they are just a beginning and a work in progress), I learned about a new bike share company called "Koloni", (aiming at getting low cost bike shares at trail heads and communities outside of large metropolitan areas), and how the Cedar Valley Nature Trail needs funds to maintain and repair infrastructure that will make it a complete trail again. Plus I heard from a couple of local State legislators on issues concerning cyclists in Iowa. I met a few folks and hung out with some acquaintances.

Oh......and I had a few beers!

The meeting was well attended and received. I thought I came away from it enriched and more knowledgeable in our areas cycling culture. There will be a Draft meet-up in Des Moines on January 25th, so you folks down that way should show up and check it out. It is good stuff. Draft is also being held in other communities across the nation. Check it out here.

Fairies wear booties. Just ask Ozzy.

Okay......One More Time!

I used to wear booties, or "shoe covers", if you'd rather, all the time whenever the weather got cold. They pretty much sucked. All of them. Then came the 45NRTH boots with the "shoe cover" built in. Wow! What an improvement.

Yes, those boots had their issues, (I still rock them, by the way), but the basic premise was brilliant. While it meant that you had to buy another pair of cycling specific footwear, who doesn't like shoes and boots? Okay, maybe if you are a Hobbit, but otherwise......

So, I swore off booties and I figured as long as I could get these "tweener" season boots, I was going to go that route. Then came these Bont shoes in for review on Riding Gravel. Obviously, going deeper into Fall and approaching Winter fast, those shoes weren't going to be optimal without additional armoring against the bitter winds and cold, frosty air. That's when I figured I had better take another look at booties. (Apologies to those who say "shoe covers". For me, these will forever be "booties")

I work at a Trek/Bontrager dealer so I took home these Bontrager RXL Waterproof "booties". Well, I must admit. Things have changed a bit since I last wore these accursed booties of doom. They are actually not too bad. A big pain to draw over your shoes, but they look well designed and as long as they do not come apart, expose my toes, or get snagged in the drive train, I'll be good. Time will tell.

Okay, that wraps up another Friday News And Views. Take care and have an awesome weekend!

Friday News And Views

Braces!

These Things Rule:

Once in a while you get a hold of something and use it, then you decide it is awesome. It may be a small thing, but it is so good that you decide it "rules". There are a few things I have come up with of late that I feel this way about, and I figured I would share here.

First of all, if you have an issue with shorts or winter tights rolling down, not staying up, or if you have to cinch down the tie or use a belt on your knickers, well, here is something I am using that you should as well. This is old, old, old school. They are suspenders, or as they are called in some parts of the world, "braces". They turn anything that isn't a bib style cycling garment into virtual bib type garments. No more belts, no tight rope strung around your gut. No more tugging at your waistline to get your tights in place.

I think suspenders rule. They are comfortable and cheap to buy. Mine came from a surplus store and cost ten measly bucks. You can wear your outer shell over them and no one will know you have them on. (If you even care about that sort of thing.) Found in a multitude of colors and patterns to suit your taste. Get some!

Bontrager Lithos jacket

Another item I have just purchased is this Bontrager Lithos jacket. It is a hard shell jacket that is wind and water proof and is.......here it comes.......breathable. Yeah, everyone says that about rain gear, and then you wear it and, yep! You may as well be in a garbage bag you are so soaked in sweat. Well, this jacket actually does have a modicum of breathability. I know, because I have been wearing it on these upper 40 to lower 50 degree days. Cycling back and forth to work, I have noticed little of the "garbage bag" effect. The Lithos has two enormous vents running diagonally from the chest down to the lower sides. What is more, the huge slash pockets have mesh liners to the inside.   So, they are, in effect, two more vents. There are no pit zips, but if you don't cinch down the wrists, you get some air flow through the arms. This is, actually, my only nit with the jacket so far. Had they put pit zips in this it would be really breathable. But as it sits, I think it is really good.

Besides the breathability, The Lithos has a helmet sized hood, an inner chest pocket, well sized for the largest phones, and that has a zippered closure. That pocket also has a media port. There is this little pocket on the upper left arm as well. Not really sure what you'd put in there, but it is there! The main zipper is a two way zip, so you can zip it up from the bottom for more venting options. Finally, it features a treatment dubbed 37.5 which is why the  Lithos works when you are exercising.

I haven't been in a rain with the thing yet, but if it passes that test, (and for a $300.00 jacket, it darn well better!), I'll say it rules as well. The main thing is that it fits true to size, breathes okay, and vents pretty well. It is a mountain biking piece, so it is meant for hydration pack wear, thus no rear pocket/venting. And about the price- in rain wear, you get what you pay for, generally speaking. I've had a lot of rain jackets that cost less, and all of them were deficient. We'll see how this plays out, but so far........

The much maligned Fasterkatt

Finally, I want to nominate the 45NRTH Fasterkatt as a boot that rules. I know, I know.........lots of folks hated on these. And to be sure, they have their deficiencies. You had to learn how to dance with them, the zippers in particular are fussy, but the alternative is what?

The alternative, which lots of folks forget about, is cycling shoes and booties, or"shoe covers" if you prefer. Whatever you want to call them, Fasterkatt boots beat the heck out of the old way. Yeah, go ahead and slag the boot, call me stupid for liking them, but I am not going back to those booties. No how, no way. That sucked, and in the worst way possible. These boots protect from wind, rain, snow, mud, and keep my feet warm. They fit me great, and I have zero discomforts when cycling with them.

45NRTH now has a Japanther model which has supplanted the Fasterkatt boots and is supposedly a better deal. Get those then. Whatever you do, get something like the Japanther, or the Garneau boot which is similar. Just get a boot for cycling that rules.

My boot? The Fasterkatt, and I have learned just exactly how to make the zippers live and I get along with them just fine. So for my uses, this rules, and it is waaaaay better than booties!

Okay, how long can this totally awesome weather hold out in December? (Maybe not long with the coming storm, but.....) Anyway, get outside and enjoy what you can of what is left of it. Thanks for reading, as always, and have a great weekend!

Friday News And Views

Braces!

These Things Rule:

Once in a while you get a hold of something and use it, then you decide it is awesome. It may be a small thing, but it is so good that you decide it "rules". There are a few things I have come up with of late that I feel this way about, and I figured I would share here.

First of all, if you have an issue with shorts or winter tights rolling down, not staying up, or if you have to cinch down the tie or use a belt on your knickers, well, here is something I am using that you should as well. This is old, old, old school. They are suspenders, or as they are called in some parts of the world, "braces". They turn anything that isn't a bib style cycling garment into virtual bib type garments. No more belts, no tight rope strung around your gut. No more tugging at your waistline to get your tights in place.

I think suspenders rule. They are comfortable and cheap to buy. Mine came from a surplus store and cost ten measly bucks. You can wear your outer shell over them and no one will know you have them on. (If you even care about that sort of thing.) Found in a multitude of colors and patterns to suit your taste. Get some!

Bontrager Lithos jacket

Another item I have just purchased is this Bontrager Lithos jacket. It is a hard shell jacket that is wind and water proof and is.......here it comes.......breathable. Yeah, everyone says that about rain gear, and then you wear it and, yep! You may as well be in a garbage bag you are so soaked in sweat. Well, this jacket actually does have a modicum of breathability. I know, because I have been wearing it on these upper 40 to lower 50 degree days. Cycling back and forth to work, I have noticed little of the "garbage bag" effect. The Lithos has two enormous vents running diagonally from the chest down to the lower sides. What is more, the huge slash pockets have mesh liners to the inside.   So, they are, in effect, two more vents. There are no pit zips, but if you don't cinch down the wrists, you get some air flow through the arms. This is, actually, my only nit with the jacket so far. Had they put pit zips in this it would be really breathable. But as it sits, I think it is really good.

Besides the breathability, The Lithos has a helmet sized hood, an inner chest pocket, well sized for the largest phones, and that has a zippered closure. That pocket also has a media port. There is this little pocket on the upper left arm as well. Not really sure what you'd put in there, but it is there! The main zipper is a two way zip, so you can zip it up from the bottom for more venting options. Finally, it features a treatment dubbed 37.5 which is why the  Lithos works when you are exercising.

I haven't been in a rain with the thing yet, but if it passes that test, (and for a $300.00 jacket, it darn well better!), I'll say it rules as well. The main thing is that it fits true to size, breathes okay, and vents pretty well. It is a mountain biking piece, so it is meant for hydration pack wear, thus no rear pocket/venting. And about the price- in rain wear, you get what you pay for, generally speaking. I've had a lot of rain jackets that cost less, and all of them were deficient. We'll see how this plays out, but so far........

The much maligned Fasterkatt

Finally, I want to nominate the 45NRTH Fasterkatt as a boot that rules. I know, I know.........lots of folks hated on these. And to be sure, they have their deficiencies. You had to learn how to dance with them, the zippers in particular are fussy, but the alternative is what?

The alternative, which lots of folks forget about, is cycling shoes and booties, or"shoe covers" if you prefer. Whatever you want to call them, Fasterkatt boots beat the heck out of the old way. Yeah, go ahead and slag the boot, call me stupid for liking them, but I am not going back to those booties. No how, no way. That sucked, and in the worst way possible. These boots protect from wind, rain, snow, mud, and keep my feet warm. They fit me great, and I have zero discomforts when cycling with them.

45NRTH now has a Japanther model which has supplanted the Fasterkatt boots and is supposedly a better deal. Get those then. Whatever you do, get something like the Japanther, or the Garneau boot which is similar. Just get a boot for cycling that rules.

My boot? The Fasterkatt, and I have learned just exactly how to make the zippers live and I get along with them just fine. So for my uses, this rules, and it is waaaaay better than booties!

Okay, how long can this totally awesome weather hold out in December? (Maybe not long with the coming storm, but.....) Anyway, get outside and enjoy what you can of what is left of it. Thanks for reading, as always, and have a great weekend!

Fun With Mud

The trail is hiding. Fortunately, I know where it is!

Wednesday was maybe going to be a big, muddy, messy ride. That's why I pulled the Fargo out with its mudguards on and went out to test out these Winter shoes I have to be testing. (Look for more on that later)

Anyway, it was in the mid-30'sF and the Northwest wind was a blowing a bit. Not terrible, or to the point that I felt the branches may break off and smack me when I was in the woods, but it was definitely "there".

I dressed in a wool base layer, a long sleeved poly jersey, and my ever present Endura Stealth II jacket. I wore another Endura product in the 3/4's Humvee pants, and with that I wore some Twin Six wool socks. The head got a Challenge Tires fleece beanie and the hands got a pair of Answer full finger gloves. Oh...and a Bell Super helmet, of course! First pair of footwear was the Fasterkatts by 45NRTH.

So, out the door and over to the Green Belt I went. Once again, I do not advocate riding on muddy trails, but the Green Belt is flood plain, and it gets damaged more from Black Hawk Creek than anything! The all-day rain previous to my ride was surely going to have the trails a mess, or so I thought. Maybe the creek would be up too. However; when I got over there to the creek, I could see it wasn't up much, if at all, and the dirt was tacky. Not messy and muddy like it should have been.

Oh, there were puddles of standing water here and there, and also a greasy spot on occasion, but overall, it appeared as though we'd only had a brief shower, not the all day rain we did have, which should have left more of a mark than it did. I was amazed. Perhaps it is drier than we thought around here. I do know that the Fall was devoid of rain until only recently.

That wasn't going to help me with my Winter boot testing very much! I was hoping for slop, water, and spray so I could ascertain the abilities of both types of footwear I was testing for water resistance and holding up to extreme conditions. I got a little of all three things, but I was hoping for much more. So, I had to take matters into my own hands!

I was planning on looping around the small lake out there and making a sort of "lap" to run both shoes through the same wringer. I decided on arriving at the lake that I would find a suitable place to wade in and see just how well each shoe held out the water. Oh, I didn't go too far in. Just enough to cover my instep.I completed my lap, then back home I switched to the Mavic Drift shoes and did it all over again.

There was one winner and one "also ran", and I got a solid two hours of fun splashing in water and running through what muck I could find out there. I guess I picked up on my "inner boy"tendencies again yesterday!

Fun With Mud

The trail is hiding. Fortunately, I know where it is!

Wednesday was maybe going to be a big, muddy, messy ride. That's why I pulled the Fargo out with its mudguards on and went out to test out these Winter shoes I have to be testing. (Look for more on that later)

Anyway, it was in the mid-30'sF and the Northwest wind was a blowing a bit. Not terrible, or to the point that I felt the branches may break off and smack me when I was in the woods, but it was definitely "there".

I dressed in a wool base layer, a long sleeved poly jersey, and my ever present Endura Stealth II jacket. I wore another Endura product in the 3/4's Humvee pants, and with that I wore some Twin Six wool socks. The head got a Challenge Tires fleece beanie and the hands got a pair of Answer full finger gloves. Oh...and a Bell Super helmet, of course! First pair of footwear was the Fasterkatts by 45NRTH.

So, out the door and over to the Green Belt I went. Once again, I do not advocate riding on muddy trails, but the Green Belt is flood plain, and it gets damaged more from Black Hawk Creek than anything! The all-day rain previous to my ride was surely going to have the trails a mess, or so I thought. Maybe the creek would be up too. However; when I got over there to the creek, I could see it wasn't up much, if at all, and the dirt was tacky. Not messy and muddy like it should have been.

Oh, there were puddles of standing water here and there, and also a greasy spot on occasion, but overall, it appeared as though we'd only had a brief shower, not the all day rain we did have, which should have left more of a mark than it did. I was amazed. Perhaps it is drier than we thought around here. I do know that the Fall was devoid of rain until only recently.

That wasn't going to help me with my Winter boot testing very much! I was hoping for slop, water, and spray so I could ascertain the abilities of both types of footwear I was testing for water resistance and holding up to extreme conditions. I got a little of all three things, but I was hoping for much more. So, I had to take matters into my own hands!

I was planning on looping around the small lake out there and making a sort of "lap" to run both shoes through the same wringer. I decided on arriving at the lake that I would find a suitable place to wade in and see just how well each shoe held out the water. Oh, I didn't go too far in. Just enough to cover my instep.I completed my lap, then back home I switched to the Mavic Drift shoes and did it all over again.

There was one winner and one "also ran", and I got a solid two hours of fun splashing in water and running through what muck I could find out there. I guess I picked up on my "inner boy"tendencies again yesterday!

Friday News And Views: More "News Season"

Velocity "Dually" profile

I have to admit that when the Surly Krampus came out, and I rode one at Interbike, I figured there would be a fair number of components and bikes hitting the market by now that would capitalize on the craze the Krampus obviously created.

The components and bikes never materialized though. Well, a few rims, maybe, but nothing else beyond a few custom built bikes surfaced that all used Rabbit Hole/Knard combinations. Well, that trend is about to be changed.

Velocity let me know quite awhile ago that they intended to come out with a bigger rim than the P-Blunt. (Formerly the P-35) That rim is 35mm wide and at the time, was the widest, easily available mtb rim out there. (Sure- there are some trials rims and small run-small company projects out there, but these are not widely known.) Then the Rabbit Hole came along and at its 50mm wide size, it cut a line between the 65mm Large Marge and the P-Blunt. Now Velocity will have its own product in this "mid-sized" area.

The Dually will be only available in 32 holes and in black ano or silver polished at first. More "options" will appear later, as in anodized colors, more drillings, and I would assume the 27.5" size as well. (700c and 26" only at first.) The rim should find a home with riders looking for a narrower, lighter rim for fat bikes or for an an alternative to the Rabbit Hole for the 29 X 3" Knard tires. These are done up in Velocity's own tubeless ready format, and while I do not know if a Knard will play nicely with it, there are a few bigger 29"er tires that will. It will be interesting to see how those tires might act on such a wide rim.

The Fasterkatt

45NRTH has announced a new boot, which I think is a great idea. Trouble is, it will be a big scrum rush to get the first shipment, and if the Wolvhammer is any indication, you'd better be on the front if you want these. But we'll see how that goes, won't we..... Seems as though the QBP way is to put out minimal product, whip up a demand, and leave a lot of folks wanting in the end while stock is out till the following year.

Anyway, a cycling shoe with a built in bootie. It has been done before, but not as fully and with such technology brought to the fore as with the Fasterkatt. The Fasterkatt is weatherproofed with a waterproof membrane, sealed off bottom, and a waffle insole that features wool and a reflective layer of aluminum. They claim your feet won't get wet and will stay warm down to about 25°F

Traction is enhanced with a new outsole made from "micro-glass" enhanced rubber. Two bolt cleats only with a provision for toe spikes as well. 45NRTH made a big deal about these being cyclo cross shoes, but I see these as being great commuter shoes and gravel grinding footwear for the colder months.

 I personally hate booties because they are not part of your shoes and always are shifting around when you get off the bike for any reason. They never line up with my cleats, fouling my pedal entry, and in snow, they pack up underneath with ice and snow and you know what that ends up doing. That's right, your feet get ice cold and you are miserable. Did I mention I hate booties?

I have pretty warm feet, so these may end up  being a shoe I could wear right down into the teens on days it isn't windy. I am pretty sure I would like these, and maybe I will have to pinch my pennies to get them.......well, that is if they are available when I am ready to buy, that is!

SRAM X0-1 Introduced

SRAM introduced the expected. X0-1 is basically a slightly heavier XX-1 and otherwise is functionally the same as its premier sibling. This is the SRAM way of doing things: Introduce high end product, then trickle down the benefits over time through to the lower groups in the range. Gotta have it now? You'll pay the price.

Interestingly the media keeps "wondering" if SRAM will trickle this down to lower groups and lower price points. Why wouldn't they? Shimano has nothing like this, and as long as Shimano has no response, the market will belong to SRAM. I fully expect that we will see the 11spd 1X concept to go down to at least X-7 levels.

Interestingly, the X0-1 is using the "old" 94BCD for the crank. 94/58BCD is something I was asking for years ago for 29"ers. In that bolt circle diameter scheme, you can mount a big ring down to a 30T easily, and 20T granny gears are easily mounted as well. It was a popular bolt circle diameter in the late 90's and was super versatile, but of course, it was in a five bolt pattern back then, and not the four bolt pattern used now.

3GR: Happening again from Gates Swimming Pool parking lot at 8:30am. We have been getting in about 40-50 miles depending on where you ride from. I've been getting home about 11:30 or a bit before, so it doesn't take all day.

See ya soon here, but in the meantime, have a great weekend and ride yer bikes!

Friday News And Views: More "News Season"

Velocity "Dually" profile

I have to admit that when the Surly Krampus came out, and I rode one at Interbike, I figured there would be a fair number of components and bikes hitting the market by now that would capitalize on the craze the Krampus obviously created.

The components and bikes never materialized though. Well, a few rims, maybe, but nothing else beyond a few custom built bikes surfaced that all used Rabbit Hole/Knard combinations. Well, that trend is about to be changed.

Velocity let me know quite awhile ago that they intended to come out with a bigger rim than the P-Blunt. (Formerly the P-35) That rim is 35mm wide and at the time, was the widest, easily available mtb rim out there. (Sure- there are some trials rims and small run-small company projects out there, but these are not widely known.) Then the Rabbit Hole came along and at its 50mm wide size, it cut a line between the 65mm Large Marge and the P-Blunt. Now Velocity will have its own product in this "mid-sized" area.

The Dually will be only available in 32 holes and in black ano or silver polished at first. More "options" will appear later, as in anodized colors, more drillings, and I would assume the 27.5" size as well. (700c and 26" only at first.) The rim should find a home with riders looking for a narrower, lighter rim for fat bikes or for an an alternative to the Rabbit Hole for the 29 X 3" Knard tires. These are done up in Velocity's own tubeless ready format, and while I do not know if a Knard will play nicely with it, there are a few bigger 29"er tires that will. It will be interesting to see how those tires might act on such a wide rim.

The Fasterkatt

45NRTH has announced a new boot, which I think is a great idea. Trouble is, it will be a big scrum rush to get the first shipment, and if the Wolvhammer is any indication, you'd better be on the front if you want these. But we'll see how that goes, won't we..... Seems as though the QBP way is to put out minimal product, whip up a demand, and leave a lot of folks wanting in the end while stock is out till the following year.

Anyway, a cycling shoe with a built in bootie. It has been done before, but not as fully and with such technology brought to the fore as with the Fasterkatt. The Fasterkatt is weatherproofed with a waterproof membrane, sealed off bottom, and a waffle insole that features wool and a reflective layer of aluminum. They claim your feet won't get wet and will stay warm down to about 25°F

Traction is enhanced with a new outsole made from "micro-glass" enhanced rubber. Two bolt cleats only with a provision for toe spikes as well. 45NRTH made a big deal about these being cyclo cross shoes, but I see these as being great commuter shoes and gravel grinding footwear for the colder months.

 I personally hate booties because they are not part of your shoes and always are shifting around when you get off the bike for any reason. They never line up with my cleats, fouling my pedal entry, and in snow, they pack up underneath with ice and snow and you know what that ends up doing. That's right, your feet get ice cold and you are miserable. Did I mention I hate booties?

I have pretty warm feet, so these may end up  being a shoe I could wear right down into the teens on days it isn't windy. I am pretty sure I would like these, and maybe I will have to pinch my pennies to get them.......well, that is if they are available when I am ready to buy, that is!

SRAM X0-1 Introduced

SRAM introduced the expected. X0-1 is basically a slightly heavier XX-1 and otherwise is functionally the same as its premier sibling. This is the SRAM way of doing things: Introduce high end product, then trickle down the benefits over time through to the lower groups in the range. Gotta have it now? You'll pay the price.

Interestingly the media keeps "wondering" if SRAM will trickle this down to lower groups and lower price points. Why wouldn't they? Shimano has nothing like this, and as long as Shimano has no response, the market will belong to SRAM. I fully expect that we will see the 11spd 1X concept to go down to at least X-7 levels.

Interestingly, the X0-1 is using the "old" 94BCD for the crank. 94/58BCD is something I was asking for years ago for 29"ers. In that bolt circle diameter scheme, you can mount a big ring down to a 30T easily, and 20T granny gears are easily mounted as well. It was a popular bolt circle diameter in the late 90's and was super versatile, but of course, it was in a five bolt pattern back then, and not the four bolt pattern used now.

3GR: Happening again from Gates Swimming Pool parking lot at 8:30am. We have been getting in about 40-50 miles depending on where you ride from. I've been getting home about 11:30 or a bit before, so it doesn't take all day.

See ya soon here, but in the meantime, have a great weekend and ride yer bikes!