Cursing Tires And Other First World Issues

Note the distinct lack of snow. You'd never guess this is a January day.

I rode the Snow Dog to work Tuesday for the first time as I had Monday off. The weather was going downhill fast as I left for the shop. The wind was roaring out of the Northwest and the temperature was sliding down from its peak in the upper 30's and was headed for the single digits. We had seen some rain on Monday, so there was a lot less snow and a lot more ice than you'd like to see in January.

The Snow Dog is shod with tires I got from Fatback Cycles dubbed "Snowshoe" and they are supposed to be 4.25" in width. Yeah....... Well, they are neither very "snowshoe-like" nor are they even four inches wide. But they can be nice tires in one area, and that is on ice. These tires have an uncanny ability to grip ice, and while it isn't "studded tire" grip, it is far better than the "here one moment-gone the next" that Surly tires have on ice. Maybe with the possible exception of my Lous on the Clown Shoe rims. That is a pretty solid set up for riding on ice .

So, there was ice for sure that I had to travel over. It was either that or go around another 3/4's of a mile out of my way to avoid it. Other than that, I really did not need these tires. On paved surfaces, especially, I did not enjoy the Snowshoes. They have an awful tendency for self-steer. That's when your tire feels like a head set that is too tight. Or like a chopper when you turn the bars too far. Anyway, it is not a fun sensation. That coupled with the very high rolling resistance of these tires, and you just feel frustrated. But then again.......I kind of feel bad about complaining. 

Surly Lou 4.8's. No self-steer, good on ice, and far lower rolling resistance.

 I mean, I have three fat bikes! Four if you count my son's, which can work for me, since he is bigger now. I have choices, I have the capability to just shut up and buy another set of tires. I even think, "What if the Snow Dog was my only fat bike? I still would be so blessed! "

So, ya know....... First World problems and all, right? Then there is tubeless.

I once set up the Snowshoe tires tubeless on these very rims. It was revelatory in as far as how much difference it made. The rolling resistance went waaaay down, and the tires had far less self-steer effects as well. Then I got to try them tubeless on a set of Velocity USA Duallys laced to fat bike hubs.

Whoa! 

They were awesome on that set of wheels. Nothing like running them tubed on my Fatback Uma II 70mm rims. So......get another set of Duallys, right? Well, not so fast! I mean, maybe I should try these on the Uma II's tubeless again, no? They were a lot better on these rims tubeless as well, and that would cost a whole lot less money than buying Duallys and setting up these wheels that way. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

I guess it is time I went to the craft store, bought another tub of Latex Mold Builder, and set to mixing up a batch of sealant. Stay tuned........

Cursing Tires And Other First World Issues

Note the distinct lack of snow. You'd never guess this is a January day.

I rode the Snow Dog to work Tuesday for the first time as I had Monday off. The weather was going downhill fast as I left for the shop. The wind was roaring out of the Northwest and the temperature was sliding down from its peak in the upper 30's and was headed for the single digits. We had seen some rain on Monday, so there was a lot less snow and a lot more ice than you'd like to see in January.

The Snow Dog is shod with tires I got from Fatback Cycles dubbed "Snowshoe" and they are supposed to be 4.25" in width. Yeah....... Well, they are neither very "snowshoe-like" nor are they even four inches wide. But they can be nice tires in one area, and that is on ice. These tires have an uncanny ability to grip ice, and while it isn't "studded tire" grip, it is far better than the "here one moment-gone the next" that Surly tires have on ice. Maybe with the possible exception of my Lous on the Clown Shoe rims. That is a pretty solid set up for riding on ice .

So, there was ice for sure that I had to travel over. It was either that or go around another 3/4's of a mile out of my way to avoid it. Other than that, I really did not need these tires. On paved surfaces, especially, I did not enjoy the Snowshoes. They have an awful tendency for self-steer. That's when your tire feels like a head set that is too tight. Or like a chopper when you turn the bars too far. Anyway, it is not a fun sensation. That coupled with the very high rolling resistance of these tires, and you just feel frustrated. But then again.......I kind of feel bad about complaining. 

Surly Lou 4.8's. No self-steer, good on ice, and far lower rolling resistance.

 I mean, I have three fat bikes! Four if you count my son's, which can work for me, since he is bigger now. I have choices, I have the capability to just shut up and buy another set of tires. I even think, "What if the Snow Dog was my only fat bike? I still would be so blessed! "

So, ya know....... First World problems and all, right? Then there is tubeless.

I once set up the Snowshoe tires tubeless on these very rims. It was revelatory in as far as how much difference it made. The rolling resistance went waaaay down, and the tires had far less self-steer effects as well. Then I got to try them tubeless on a set of Velocity USA Duallys laced to fat bike hubs.

Whoa! 

They were awesome on that set of wheels. Nothing like running them tubed on my Fatback Uma II 70mm rims. So......get another set of Duallys, right? Well, not so fast! I mean, maybe I should try these on the Uma II's tubeless again, no? They were a lot better on these rims tubeless as well, and that would cost a whole lot less money than buying Duallys and setting up these wheels that way. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

I guess it is time I went to the craft store, bought another tub of Latex Mold Builder, and set to mixing up a batch of sealant. Stay tuned........

Friday News And Views

From the course...

Geezer Ride:

Tomorrow is the 3rd Geezer Ride to be held in Waterloo Iowa this time. The start is at 8:30am at the Gates Park Swimming Pool parking lot. See the finer details HERE.

I know of about seven folks that have let me know they are heading down/up/over for this ride, which means there are about seven more that will just show up, more than likely, as this has been the way it has gone in the past. That's fine, but my instincts tell me this will have a smaller turn out than the last ride which had 24 riders. Lots going on now so it is understandable.

I'm looking forward to riding with everyone and having a glorious day on the bike. The weather looks perfect and the roads...... Well, who knows! I am sure we'll have some fresh gravel to contend with, as this has been the norm all Summer here. It's okay, we aren't leaving anyone behind and we will be taking things slow and easy.

I might bust out my single speed for this one, but we'll see. It is that or my Raleigh Tamland, I think. There are always some interesting bikes on the Geezer Rides, so maybe I should follow suit and ride an "interesting" bike myself!

Stay tuned for a ride report......

One of only two green XL Singular Gryphons in the US has been stolen

 Stolen Bike Alert:

If you've been around cycling, particularly mountain biking, you may have heard of "Fixie Dave". He's a Trans Iowa Vet, Tour Divide finisher, and an all around good dude. Well, his rig got stolen....

That's not cool, and I wanted to put this out on this channel to help in some small way. This has been all over social media, but the more the word gets out, the better chances we have of recovering this bike for a good guy.

This is a 2nd Gen Singular Gryphon in the green color, very rare, and one of two XL's ever sold in the country. It's likely that the bike has been stripped down, so be aware that this might show up on some lists as a frame/fork. If it is intact, it is set up fixed, and has only a front Magura brake. The crank set is a Rotor crank, so be on the look out for that as a separate part as well.

Here's hoping this becomes a quick and speedy recovery.

The new Fatback Rhino

 Fatback Releases Two New Fat Bike Models:

Fatback has been around with fat bikes since, well.....I remember seeing one at Sea Otter in 2007. So, a long time in terms of fat bike companies, that's for sure. They can be attributed with innovating several ideas for fat bikes we all take for granted now. Being up in Alaska, they were right on the whole "expedition" fat bike thing from the start. However; the fat bike market has taken a left turn into trail riding territory, so many companies have altered their geometry, or of the were late comers, started out with straight up trail bike geometry and have left the expeditionary types out in the cold. (<===HA!)

Well, at any rate, Fatback has released two new designs, one in aluminum dubbed the Rhino and one in carbon dubbed the Skookum. Both feature shortened chain stays, slacker head angles, and are based upon the 190mm rear standard which they first developed.

Both bikes feature suspension corrected geometry for 120mm forks and as completes are sold with Rock Shox Bluto forks. Head angle comes in at 68.5°, which is pretty slack for any bike, much less a fat bike.

The Skookum will be available as a frame, or in four different build options featuring different wheel sizes. It has stealth dropper post routing and features a through axle rear end.

The Rhino is available with a rigid, painted to match fork, or in other build options as well featuring multiple wheel sizes. The rhino differs from the Skookum in that it has rear sliding drop outs and can be set up as a single speed rig. It is conceived as a more affordable option to the Skookum and also has two color options available.

For more information see Fatback's website HERE.

That's a wrap! Better get out and ride those bicycles folks. Summer is on the wane and Fall is bearing down on us hard!

Friday News And Views

From the course...

Geezer Ride:

Tomorrow is the 3rd Geezer Ride to be held in Waterloo Iowa this time. The start is at 8:30am at the Gates Park Swimming Pool parking lot. See the finer details HERE.

I know of about seven folks that have let me know they are heading down/up/over for this ride, which means there are about seven more that will just show up, more than likely, as this has been the way it has gone in the past. That's fine, but my instincts tell me this will have a smaller turn out than the last ride which had 24 riders. Lots going on now so it is understandable.

I'm looking forward to riding with everyone and having a glorious day on the bike. The weather looks perfect and the roads...... Well, who knows! I am sure we'll have some fresh gravel to contend with, as this has been the norm all Summer here. It's okay, we aren't leaving anyone behind and we will be taking things slow and easy.

I might bust out my single speed for this one, but we'll see. It is that or my Raleigh Tamland, I think. There are always some interesting bikes on the Geezer Rides, so maybe I should follow suit and ride an "interesting" bike myself!

Stay tuned for a ride report......

One of only two green XL Singular Gryphons in the US has been stolen

 Stolen Bike Alert:

If you've been around cycling, particularly mountain biking, you may have heard of "Fixie Dave". He's a Trans Iowa Vet, Tour Divide finisher, and an all around good dude. Well, his rig got stolen....

That's not cool, and I wanted to put this out on this channel to help in some small way. This has been all over social media, but the more the word gets out, the better chances we have of recovering this bike for a good guy.

This is a 2nd Gen Singular Gryphon in the green color, very rare, and one of two XL's ever sold in the country. It's likely that the bike has been stripped down, so be aware that this might show up on some lists as a frame/fork. If it is intact, it is set up fixed, and has only a front Magura brake. The crank set is a Rotor crank, so be on the look out for that as a separate part as well.

Here's hoping this becomes a quick and speedy recovery.

The new Fatback Rhino

 Fatback Releases Two New Fat Bike Models:

Fatback has been around with fat bikes since, well.....I remember seeing one at Sea Otter in 2007. So, a long time in terms of fat bike companies, that's for sure. They can be attributed with innovating several ideas for fat bikes we all take for granted now. Being up in Alaska, they were right on the whole "expedition" fat bike thing from the start. However; the fat bike market has taken a left turn into trail riding territory, so many companies have altered their geometry, or of the were late comers, started out with straight up trail bike geometry and have left the expeditionary types out in the cold. (<===HA!)

Well, at any rate, Fatback has released two new designs, one in aluminum dubbed the Rhino and one in carbon dubbed the Skookum. Both feature shortened chain stays, slacker head angles, and are based upon the 190mm rear standard which they first developed.

Both bikes feature suspension corrected geometry for 120mm forks and as completes are sold with Rock Shox Bluto forks. Head angle comes in at 68.5°, which is pretty slack for any bike, much less a fat bike.

The Skookum will be available as a frame, or in four different build options featuring different wheel sizes. It has stealth dropper post routing and features a through axle rear end.

The Rhino is available with a rigid, painted to match fork, or in other build options as well featuring multiple wheel sizes. The rhino differs from the Skookum in that it has rear sliding drop outs and can be set up as a single speed rig. It is conceived as a more affordable option to the Skookum and also has two color options available.

For more information see Fatback's website HERE.

That's a wrap! Better get out and ride those bicycles folks. Summer is on the wane and Fall is bearing down on us hard!

WW4M: The Triple D Set Up

This is an occasional feature here that I dubbed "WW4M" which stands for "What Works For Me". Like the title says, this works for me, but it may not necessarily work for you. Any actions taken up based on information shared here is done of your own free will and any resulting consequences are all yours, baby!

The titanium Mukluk set up and ready to go for Triple D this past weekend.

I thought it might be fun and informative to go over my gear from last weekend's succesful Triple D attempt. So here is a basic list for the bike and what was on it......

• 2012 Salsa Cycles Titanium Mukluk w/Enabler steel fork
• Bontrager Race Lite crank- vintage early 00's. Uses a ISIS BB from FSA set up 2X with 22/32 rings. Fixation Mesa MP pedals
• 10 speed Deore XT DynaSys rear derailleur with clutch. (I ran it in the non-clutch position for the event.)
• 10 speed SRAM cassette. (The least expensive one with an aluminum carrier for the largest cogs) SRAM 10 speed chain with quick link.
• 10 speed DynaSys Rapid Fire right shifter
• SRAM X-9 Left shifter 
• SRAM X-7 high direct mount front derailleur
• Avid Elixir 9 brakes 180 fr/r rotors
• FSA SLX stem and handle bar. Ergon BioKork grips
• Salsa Cycles Regulator titanium post w/Ergon SM-3 saddle
• Velocity Dually rims laced to Hope Fatsno hubs. Fatback Sterling tires set up tubeless at 15psi each.
• Velocity Bottle trap cages on the fork. Customized Salsa purple ano skewers. 
• Modified SKS Grand MOM fender for the rear

Okay, so that's the basic bike set up. Now for the bags. I used Bike Bag Dude Chaff Bags on the handle bars. These cylindrical bags  can easily hold a large water bottle, but I filled both of mine with some salty, sweet, hot flavored snacks. The Chaff Bag keeps them at hand and I stayed fueled much better with the ability to easily eat on the fly. The other BBD bag on board was the Ultra-Light frame bag. Now I've been over-stuffing this thing for quite awhile with all sorts of items. This time, here's a short list of what was riding along with me.......

First off, the bag is divided, so in the upper part I had the following...

• Three insulated 20 oz water bottles
• Extra head gear like a neck buff, hat, etc.
• Some extra Fizz tabs from Hammer Nutrition.
• A Trek tail light. 
• Crank Brothers pump with gauge.
• An extra pair of wool socks

In the lower part I had the following......

• A Surly fat bike tube
• A Bontrager 29"er tube
• A Blackburn Toolmanator 3
• A tire lever
• CO2 Inflators

 Then I also had a Oveja Negra "Gearjammer Seat pack which held a pair of Endura rain trousers and an Endura rain jacket, in case things got wet and sloppy, or if I needed to swap out outer wear for whatever reason.

Velocity Dually wheels, Fatback Sterlings tubeless, and the Contigo stainless flask

One other small item that worked brilliantly was the Contigo stainless steel travel mug, re-purposed as a water bottle with dead air space insulation. It worked great, but then again, the temperatures never really tested the things. However; I did ride to work this week with hot coffee in one mounted on the fork in -20°F wind chills and the coffee was still hot. For whatever that is worth. I was actually going to put hot chicken soup in there, but I never got around to that. I should also mention that I used a Trelock LS-950 light which worked flawlessly, although I wished for a helmet light in those last 4 miles in the hilly terrain!

 Wearables:

Of course, some of what I wore was a last minute, desperation purchase since I had forgotten most of my base layer stuff back at home. However; some of the choices hinged on the actual weather, so I took a lot of stuff that never got used. Here's a rundown of what I wore broken down by base layer, mid-layer, outer layer categories:

Base Layer: I wore Northface wool tights and long sleeved top. On the feet I wore a pair of calf length Smart Wool socks made for XC skiing. 

Mid-layer: I wore a Twin Six Thermal Hoodie made from Merino wool. 

Outer Layer: On the bottom I wore Bontrager tights of a cool weather weight, I would say. They definitely were lighter than what most folks would use. Up top I wore a soft shell Endura jacket. This jacket has a huge rear pocket that I stuffed food and extra gear into. 

Hands and Feet: It was warmer than other Triple D races have been, so I wore a pair of mid-weight Keen Hiking boots on my feet that I treated pre-event with Brooks Proofide. I never got wet feet. Hands were covered at various times by either a pair of Smart wool liners in Merino wool or a pair of Answer mid-weight gloves. For much of the event I didn't even wear gloves!

Head: I wore a fleece cap of lighter weight I got from CIRREM one year and my Bell Super helmet. For eyewear I wore a pair of Oakley Radar Locks and at night I switched over to a pair of Tifosi clear lensed glasses for a bit. 

Verdict: Everything worked really well. I had no issues with any of my gear or my bike, other than I was set up for different conditions with my wheel/tire choice. I ran what I had. If I had wheels and tires at my disposal to run, I would have opted for Rolling Darryls and a Bud/Lou combo, but I didn't have that luxury. I'm not sure it would have made a whole lot of difference anyway, and the heavier wheels/tires may actually have been a detriment in the end. I'll never know. 

If the temperatures would have dumped at night, I may have gotten into trouble as I didn't have any extra tops and I sweat completely through everything I had on up top. I suppose I could have swapped outer layers, since I had that, but I was bare minimal with clothing, I thought.  The SKS fender actually worked great and came in really handy in a few wet spots. 

I think the Salsa seat post was a boon to comfort, but there is an issue with it I am going to have to work through. (More on that later) I think bar ends would have been wonderful, but I think this bike may see a different handle bar/controls set up soon. 

Anyway, that's a wrap. Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments section!

WW4M: The Triple D Set Up

This is an occasional feature here that I dubbed "WW4M" which stands for "What Works For Me". Like the title says, this works for me, but it may not necessarily work for you. Any actions taken up based on information shared here is done of your own free will and any resulting consequences are all yours, baby!

The titanium Mukluk set up and ready to go for Triple D this past weekend.

I thought it might be fun and informative to go over my gear from last weekend's succesful Triple D attempt. So here is a basic list for the bike and what was on it......

• 2012 Salsa Cycles Titanium Mukluk w/Enabler steel fork
• Bontrager Race Lite crank- vintage early 00's. Uses a ISIS BB from FSA set up 2X with 22/32 rings. Fixation Mesa MP pedals
• 10 speed Deore XT DynaSys rear derailleur with clutch. (I ran it in the non-clutch position for the event.)
• 10 speed SRAM cassette. (The least expensive one with an aluminum carrier for the largest cogs) SRAM 10 speed chain with quick link.
• 10 speed DynaSys Rapid Fire right shifter
• SRAM X-9 Left shifter 
• SRAM X-7 high direct mount front derailleur
• Avid Elixir 9 brakes 180 fr/r rotors
• FSA SLX stem and handle bar. Ergon BioKork grips
• Salsa Cycles Regulator titanium post w/Ergon SM-3 saddle
• Velocity Dually rims laced to Hope Fatsno hubs. Fatback Sterling tires set up tubeless at 15psi each.
• Velocity Bottle trap cages on the fork. Customized Salsa purple ano skewers. 
• Modified SKS Grand MOM fender for the rear

Okay, so that's the basic bike set up. Now for the bags. I used Bike Bag Dude Chaff Bags on the handle bars. These cylindrical bags  can easily hold a large water bottle, but I filled both of mine with some salty, sweet, hot flavored snacks. The Chaff Bag keeps them at hand and I stayed fueled much better with the ability to easily eat on the fly. The other BBD bag on board was the Ultra-Light frame bag. Now I've been over-stuffing this thing for quite awhile with all sorts of items. This time, here's a short list of what was riding along with me.......

First off, the bag is divided, so in the upper part I had the following...

• Three insulated 20 oz water bottles
• Extra head gear like a neck buff, hat, etc.
• Some extra Fizz tabs from Hammer Nutrition.
• A Trek tail light. 
• Crank Brothers pump with gauge.
• An extra pair of wool socks

In the lower part I had the following......

• A Surly fat bike tube
• A Bontrager 29"er tube
• A Blackburn Toolmanator 3
• A tire lever
• CO2 Inflators

 Then I also had a Oveja Negra "Gearjammer Seat pack which held a pair of Endura rain trousers and an Endura rain jacket, in case things got wet and sloppy, or if I needed to swap out outer wear for whatever reason.

Velocity Dually wheels, Fatback Sterlings tubeless, and the Contigo stainless flask

One other small item that worked brilliantly was the Contigo stainless steel travel mug, re-purposed as a water bottle with dead air space insulation. It worked great, but then again, the temperatures never really tested the things. However; I did ride to work this week with hot coffee in one mounted on the fork in -20°F wind chills and the coffee was still hot. For whatever that is worth. I was actually going to put hot chicken soup in there, but I never got around to that. I should also mention that I used a Trelock LS-950 light which worked flawlessly, although I wished for a helmet light in those last 4 miles in the hilly terrain!

 Wearables:

Of course, some of what I wore was a last minute, desperation purchase since I had forgotten most of my base layer stuff back at home. However; some of the choices hinged on the actual weather, so I took a lot of stuff that never got used. Here's a rundown of what I wore broken down by base layer, mid-layer, outer layer categories:

Base Layer: I wore Northface wool tights and long sleeved top. On the feet I wore a pair of calf length Smart Wool socks made for XC skiing. 

Mid-layer: I wore a Twin Six Thermal Hoodie made from Merino wool. 

Outer Layer: On the bottom I wore Bontrager tights of a cool weather weight, I would say. They definitely were lighter than what most folks would use. Up top I wore a soft shell Endura jacket. This jacket has a huge rear pocket that I stuffed food and extra gear into. 

Hands and Feet: It was warmer than other Triple D races have been, so I wore a pair of mid-weight Keen Hiking boots on my feet that I treated pre-event with Brooks Proofide. I never got wet feet. Hands were covered at various times by either a pair of Smart wool liners in Merino wool or a pair of Answer mid-weight gloves. For much of the event I didn't even wear gloves!

Head: I wore a fleece cap of lighter weight I got from CIRREM one year and my Bell Super helmet. For eyewear I wore a pair of Oakley Radar Locks and at night I switched over to a pair of Tifosi clear lensed glasses for a bit. 

Verdict: Everything worked really well. I had no issues with any of my gear or my bike, other than I was set up for different conditions with my wheel/tire choice. I ran what I had. If I had wheels and tires at my disposal to run, I would have opted for Rolling Darryls and a Bud/Lou combo, but I didn't have that luxury. I'm not sure it would have made a whole lot of difference anyway, and the heavier wheels/tires may actually have been a detriment in the end. I'll never know. 

If the temperatures would have dumped at night, I may have gotten into trouble as I didn't have any extra tops and I sweat completely through everything I had on up top. I suppose I could have swapped outer layers, since I had that, but I was bare minimal with clothing, I thought.  The SKS fender actually worked great and came in really handy in a few wet spots. 

I think the Salsa seat post was a boon to comfort, but there is an issue with it I am going to have to work through. (More on that later) I think bar ends would have been wonderful, but I think this bike may see a different handle bar/controls set up soon. 

Anyway, that's a wrap. Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments section!

Friday News And Views

Colder than it looks

Hello from Iowa where it is a balmy.....something or another below zero. I mean really.....when it gets to ten below, anything beyond that is just silly. 

We've likely hit our coldest stretch of Winter a little earlier than maybe we usually do. That's good if true, I mean, let's just get this out of the way right now, eh? Interestingly, we're getting a day of reprieve Saturday when it is supposedly going to soar up into the 20's above. Wow! I think I'll unzip my coat a little!

However; post Saturday we go back into the deeper freeze with some silly forecast temperatures until Tuesday when things bounce back the other way. (Well, at least we are hoping so!) Then it seems that it stays that way for the near term through to Triple D. I sure hope it isn't 15 below the morning of that event!

Of course, it is hard to say what Winter may bring by the time Triple D rolls around, but I will be trying to cope with strategies as the temperature forecasts change on the way toward that event. I will be wearing totally different gear if it is above zero as opposed to below zero. I will be carrying more clothing to swap out if it is colder, and less, or none, if it is warmer, and that depends upon how warm it gets, or it doesn't.

See? It's a game of chess with the conditions. Make the wrong move, and you're toast. Heck, I may be bringing a small trunk load of clothes and gear with me on this venture, who knows?!

Want to start a debate? Choose tires as a subject!

Never discuss politics or tires in mixed company: 

In all of my days of writing on the inner-googles, I've probably never seen more debate sparked by anything more than I have with regard to tires. Tires- be they tubeless, not tubeless, toobed, not toobed, wide, thin, big, small, slick, or treaded, you just don't seem to get people all together on the subject of tires. In fact, it seems that for some folks it is akin to a religious offense if a view other than their own is presented as a valid option.

Of course, I was oft accused of being one of these "29"er zealots" eight years ago or so. Heck, I didn't really care what anyone else rode, as long as they were having fun. I just really saw a good point or two about having bigger diameter wheels on my off road bikes. And I still do, of course, but ya know, the wagon wheels done went mainstream nowadays and having beliefs like mine are seen as being "old school" now! Funny how the world changes, ain't it?

Now I went and stirred up the pot, (shame on me), by posting this link on Gravel Grinder News Facebook page and it struck a minor dissonant chord there. Hmmm..... Yep. Tires. They do seem to get the dander up.

Speaking of tires......OH! Yeah....that's right. Never mind!

Sterling Update:

Well, so far so good on the tubeless set up of the Fatback Sterling tires. I have to admit, I had my doubts about how this would go, but so far, I have been duly impressed by the overall set up of the ginormous fat tires. 

Secondly, the big take away for me is how much nicer the Sterlings are tubeless. I would never revert back to tubes if I have a choice here. These are so much better tubeless, it is almost as if they are different tires altogether from the way they ride tubed.

So, a bit of new info here on my take on these tires, in case anyone out there is following along with my rides on these, or cares to know: The tires have stretched a bit more. Now I am getting a 103mm/4.055" measurement on the casings. Keep in mind I started out at barely 3.8" with tubes and this is all on older Fatback Uma II rims which are 70mm wide. So, I can get along with this. Four inches is bigger than I had, and likely on a Rolling Darryl I might find that the overall width might go to closer to the advertised width. Now I am at peace with that part.

The big thing here is the flattened casing profile coupled with the lack of side knobs for lateral stability. The Sterling has drive and braking traction that literally blows the old Larrys away. I have no issues at all with drive traction or braking traction. However; the Sterlings have the uncanny ability to be driving forward with authority and exhibit little to no lateral stability at all. So, this means that you can literally feel the rear tire digging forward, for example, and that same tire is coming around sideways, or slipping into a rut like there is zero resistance to that. It's odd, but out back I can catch that. Up front, it can take off sideways on you and you just loose all forward momentum. Ruts, or softer sections of snow besides a packed track are treacherous anyway, but I think the Sterlings may actually be worse than a BFL up front in this regard. Maybe. It's close if not worse.

If things are well packed in, no worries at all. Ice? Psssshaw! The Sterlings are good on ice within reason. It's that dang lack of lateral stability. I still look at a Surly Bud and think that is the front tire I should have. Sterlings would be a fine rear tire anywhere, but if you don't have groomed trails, a front Sterling may give you fits like it does for me. Maybe. Or I'm just crazy.....

Okay, that's a wrap. Stay warm and safe, but ride em if ya can!

Friday News And Views

Colder than it looks

Hello from Iowa where it is a balmy.....something or another below zero. I mean really.....when it gets to ten below, anything beyond that is just silly. 

We've likely hit our coldest stretch of Winter a little earlier than maybe we usually do. That's good if true, I mean, let's just get this out of the way right now, eh? Interestingly, we're getting a day of reprieve Saturday when it is supposedly going to soar up into the 20's above. Wow! I think I'll unzip my coat a little!

However; post Saturday we go back into the deeper freeze with some silly forecast temperatures until Tuesday when things bounce back the other way. (Well, at least we are hoping so!) Then it seems that it stays that way for the near term through to Triple D. I sure hope it isn't 15 below the morning of that event!

Of course, it is hard to say what Winter may bring by the time Triple D rolls around, but I will be trying to cope with strategies as the temperature forecasts change on the way toward that event. I will be wearing totally different gear if it is above zero as opposed to below zero. I will be carrying more clothing to swap out if it is colder, and less, or none, if it is warmer, and that depends upon how warm it gets, or it doesn't.

See? It's a game of chess with the conditions. Make the wrong move, and you're toast. Heck, I may be bringing a small trunk load of clothes and gear with me on this venture, who knows?!

Want to start a debate? Choose tires as a subject!

Never discuss politics or tires in mixed company: 

In all of my days of writing on the inner-googles, I've probably never seen more debate sparked by anything more than I have with regard to tires. Tires- be they tubeless, not tubeless, toobed, not toobed, wide, thin, big, small, slick, or treaded, you just don't seem to get people all together on the subject of tires. In fact, it seems that for some folks it is akin to a religious offense if a view other than their own is presented as a valid option.

Of course, I was oft accused of being one of these "29"er zealots" eight years ago or so. Heck, I didn't really care what anyone else rode, as long as they were having fun. I just really saw a good point or two about having bigger diameter wheels on my off road bikes. And I still do, of course, but ya know, the wagon wheels done went mainstream nowadays and having beliefs like mine are seen as being "old school" now! Funny how the world changes, ain't it?

Now I went and stirred up the pot, (shame on me), by posting this link on Gravel Grinder News Facebook page and it struck a minor dissonant chord there. Hmmm..... Yep. Tires. They do seem to get the dander up.

Speaking of tires......OH! Yeah....that's right. Never mind!

Sterling Update:

Well, so far so good on the tubeless set up of the Fatback Sterling tires. I have to admit, I had my doubts about how this would go, but so far, I have been duly impressed by the overall set up of the ginormous fat tires. 

Secondly, the big take away for me is how much nicer the Sterlings are tubeless. I would never revert back to tubes if I have a choice here. These are so much better tubeless, it is almost as if they are different tires altogether from the way they ride tubed.

So, a bit of new info here on my take on these tires, in case anyone out there is following along with my rides on these, or cares to know: The tires have stretched a bit more. Now I am getting a 103mm/4.055" measurement on the casings. Keep in mind I started out at barely 3.8" with tubes and this is all on older Fatback Uma II rims which are 70mm wide. So, I can get along with this. Four inches is bigger than I had, and likely on a Rolling Darryl I might find that the overall width might go to closer to the advertised width. Now I am at peace with that part.

The big thing here is the flattened casing profile coupled with the lack of side knobs for lateral stability. The Sterling has drive and braking traction that literally blows the old Larrys away. I have no issues at all with drive traction or braking traction. However; the Sterlings have the uncanny ability to be driving forward with authority and exhibit little to no lateral stability at all. So, this means that you can literally feel the rear tire digging forward, for example, and that same tire is coming around sideways, or slipping into a rut like there is zero resistance to that. It's odd, but out back I can catch that. Up front, it can take off sideways on you and you just loose all forward momentum. Ruts, or softer sections of snow besides a packed track are treacherous anyway, but I think the Sterlings may actually be worse than a BFL up front in this regard. Maybe. It's close if not worse.

If things are well packed in, no worries at all. Ice? Psssshaw! The Sterlings are good on ice within reason. It's that dang lack of lateral stability. I still look at a Surly Bud and think that is the front tire I should have. Sterlings would be a fine rear tire anywhere, but if you don't have groomed trails, a front Sterling may give you fits like it does for me. Maybe. Or I'm just crazy.....

Okay, that's a wrap. Stay warm and safe, but ride em if ya can!

Triple D 2014: Unusual Warmth

Low Sun Angle

I had to set up By-Tor The Titanium Mukluk with its new drive train in the morning yesterday and do a bit of cleaning and fine tuning. I also had to track down my Loc-Tite for the chain ring bolts. Never put together chain ring bolts without Loc-Tite!

I found the thread locking fluid eventually and the job went smoothly afterward. I ate a quick lunch then got things together for a trip to the shop to drop off my Fox fork for an overhaul. Then I took "the long way home."

I decided to hit up Hartman Reserve first. Bikes are only allowed on the "lower" part, which is a sliver of land in the flood plain, mostly on the North side of old "Shirey Way", which was reputed to be the area where the "devil worshipers" congregated back in the 80's. Pfft! I never really put much credence in that story, but there it is.

Whatever the case was, on this gloriously sunny and warm, (for mid-December), day there were no evil spirits detected in the woods. Just nice, packed in single track, which my now tubeless Sterling tires were eating up like crazy. I will likely have more to say on the tubeless Sterlings in a separate post, but for now I will just say that they are a 180 degrees different feeling and performing tire tubeless over when you are running tubes in them. Simply stated, don't run the Fatback Sterling tires with a tube unless it is an emergency bail-out method to get you back home.

George Wyth State Park single track

Anyway, back to the weather! It was really quite warm out. I noted a temperature of over 40°F at one point, so the snow was softer where there were less trees. Fortunately, the Sun is at its lowest ebb in the sky these days. Had we gotten a day like this a month ago- or in February, the snow would have quickly melted into mush with the more direct rays from the Sun. That said, the trails were surprisingly firm. After yesterday we are to go back to under freezing temperatures for awhile, so whatever we have left for snow should be sticking around for a bit.

I passed by an almost totally frozen Alice Wyth Lake on my ride.

Trail conditions were holding up rather well throughout my ride though, so I kept motoring onward and decided to swing through George Wyth as well. The day was just too awesome to go straight home, and I needed to get a longer ride in.

A few places got kind of sketchy, like where the dang snow machine went down the bike path in George Wyth, as a for instance. The track of the snowmobile made tire footing treacherous in spots. I bailed off the main bike path to get away from that and found the newly flagged trail out on the Eastern end of the park.

It was bumpier, looser, and had log "teepees" to cross over, so it was slower going, but I only dabbed once, so I was pretty happy with that! Then I was looking to exit the park, and thankfully the trail dumped me out right at the ramp up onto the Cedar River bridge, which I needed to cross. One thing about bridges with attached bike paths and Winter: You always have the scrapings from the snowplows piled up on the path. It can be a big problem to ride on/through. Most often, the chemical stuff they use to de-ice and keep the roadway clear can turn the snow on the bike/ped way into something the consistency of mashed potatoes. The snow here was fortunately still rideable though, so I was able to ride the bridge, albeit slowly. The screaming traffic was awful, by the way. I hate riding beside busy roads!

More single track in George Wyth State Park

Then I finally crossed the bridge and started to take note of some excessive drag on the drive train. I decided to stop and take a good look at the bike to see just what it was that was keeping me from feeling "free". Maybe my new drive train was having an issue?

A wee bit of snow build up!

I was a bit surprised by the amount of snow that had attached itself to my bike, especially around the crank and front derailleur area. The drag was snow rubbing the rear tire. I cleared everything off and felt the immediate "free-ness" of everything- the pedaling, coasting, and drive line. It is always amazing to me how "in tune" to that I can be.

So, anyway, the riding continued and the Sun was dipping lower on the horizon. I was thinking I may need to turn on the lights, but for the time being, I just pushed on the rear tail light. I could see just fine.

I wound my way down through alleys and side streets to keep things interesting and to stay on snow as much as possible. Then back on my commute route and onward to the house. I was tired and hungry. I think I got in a good 2 plus hour ride after stopping at the shop, and probably a half an hour before that getting down there. A good kick off to the steady build up to Triple D.

I attended to the chain after getting the bike down into my "Lab". The rust monsters are tough to keep at bay when you have so much wet snow and chemical road treatment to ride through. The new chain ring size is perfect for snow riding, and even going up the steeps, I stayed in the outer ring. Never used the granny today. That's good!

More soon.....

Triple D 2014: Unusual Warmth

Low Sun Angle

I had to set up By-Tor The Titanium Mukluk with its new drive train in the morning yesterday and do a bit of cleaning and fine tuning. I also had to track down my Loc-Tite for the chain ring bolts. Never put together chain ring bolts without Loc-Tite!

I found the thread locking fluid eventually and the job went smoothly afterward. I ate a quick lunch then got things together for a trip to the shop to drop off my Fox fork for an overhaul. Then I took "the long way home."

I decided to hit up Hartman Reserve first. Bikes are only allowed on the "lower" part, which is a sliver of land in the flood plain, mostly on the North side of old "Shirey Way", which was reputed to be the area where the "devil worshipers" congregated back in the 80's. Pfft! I never really put much credence in that story, but there it is.

Whatever the case was, on this gloriously sunny and warm, (for mid-December), day there were no evil spirits detected in the woods. Just nice, packed in single track, which my now tubeless Sterling tires were eating up like crazy. I will likely have more to say on the tubeless Sterlings in a separate post, but for now I will just say that they are a 180 degrees different feeling and performing tire tubeless over when you are running tubes in them. Simply stated, don't run the Fatback Sterling tires with a tube unless it is an emergency bail-out method to get you back home.

George Wyth State Park single track

Anyway, back to the weather! It was really quite warm out. I noted a temperature of over 40°F at one point, so the snow was softer where there were less trees. Fortunately, the Sun is at its lowest ebb in the sky these days. Had we gotten a day like this a month ago- or in February, the snow would have quickly melted into mush with the more direct rays from the Sun. That said, the trails were surprisingly firm. After yesterday we are to go back to under freezing temperatures for awhile, so whatever we have left for snow should be sticking around for a bit.

I passed by an almost totally frozen Alice Wyth Lake on my ride.

Trail conditions were holding up rather well throughout my ride though, so I kept motoring onward and decided to swing through George Wyth as well. The day was just too awesome to go straight home, and I needed to get a longer ride in.

A few places got kind of sketchy, like where the dang snow machine went down the bike path in George Wyth, as a for instance. The track of the snowmobile made tire footing treacherous in spots. I bailed off the main bike path to get away from that and found the newly flagged trail out on the Eastern end of the park.

It was bumpier, looser, and had log "teepees" to cross over, so it was slower going, but I only dabbed once, so I was pretty happy with that! Then I was looking to exit the park, and thankfully the trail dumped me out right at the ramp up onto the Cedar River bridge, which I needed to cross. One thing about bridges with attached bike paths and Winter: You always have the scrapings from the snowplows piled up on the path. It can be a big problem to ride on/through. Most often, the chemical stuff they use to de-ice and keep the roadway clear can turn the snow on the bike/ped way into something the consistency of mashed potatoes. The snow here was fortunately still rideable though, so I was able to ride the bridge, albeit slowly. The screaming traffic was awful, by the way. I hate riding beside busy roads!

More single track in George Wyth State Park

Then I finally crossed the bridge and started to take note of some excessive drag on the drive train. I decided to stop and take a good look at the bike to see just what it was that was keeping me from feeling "free". Maybe my new drive train was having an issue?

A wee bit of snow build up!

I was a bit surprised by the amount of snow that had attached itself to my bike, especially around the crank and front derailleur area. The drag was snow rubbing the rear tire. I cleared everything off and felt the immediate "free-ness" of everything- the pedaling, coasting, and drive line. It is always amazing to me how "in tune" to that I can be.

So, anyway, the riding continued and the Sun was dipping lower on the horizon. I was thinking I may need to turn on the lights, but for the time being, I just pushed on the rear tail light. I could see just fine.

I wound my way down through alleys and side streets to keep things interesting and to stay on snow as much as possible. Then back on my commute route and onward to the house. I was tired and hungry. I think I got in a good 2 plus hour ride after stopping at the shop, and probably a half an hour before that getting down there. A good kick off to the steady build up to Triple D.

I attended to the chain after getting the bike down into my "Lab". The rust monsters are tough to keep at bay when you have so much wet snow and chemical road treatment to ride through. The new chain ring size is perfect for snow riding, and even going up the steeps, I stayed in the outer ring. Never used the granny today. That's good!

More soon.....

Fat Bike Tubeless Conversion

While I have done a ton of tubeless conversions on 29"ers and even on some gravel grinder set ups, I had not considered doing a tubeless fat bike tire set up. I just did not see the benefit for the tires I had been running, which weren't puncturing on me, nor having issues with ride quality or traction.

The new tires I have, the Fatback Sterlings, they are a completely different feeling tire. No punctures as of yet, but they seemed harsh and not very damped. Not to mention the fact that they are undersized for their rated width. Tubeless conversion may help all of that, is what I was thinking, plus the Sterlings are tubeless ready tires.

So, I talked with my good buddy, MG, and he gave me the lowdown on how much sealant to use. I took another cue from fat biking aficionado, Adam Blake, and along with a discovery I made myself, I have a successful tubeless conversion on my Fatback Sterling tires. Note: These tires are tubeless rated and the rims I used are Fatback Uma II 70mm wide rims. Your mileage with other rims and tires may vary.

How To: The first thing you have to do is to get something to seal off the rim's drillings and spoke holes. I had already used a rim strip consisting of two wraps of Chrome colored duct tape backed with a single wrap of clear shipping tape to keep the adhesive of the duct tape from sticking to my tubes. When I pulled the tubes, I left this basic rim tape in there.

I had Mrs.Guitar Ted pick me up the widest roll of Gorilla tape she could find, and you know what? It measured exactly 70mm wide, just like my Uma rims! Gorilla tape has been used successfully in tubeless conversions for a couple years or more by a lot of folks in a lot of different combinations, so I felt confident in choosing it as a rim sealer/strip. Basically, Gorilla tape is ultra-strong duct tape. It is sticky where it needs to be and strong enough to withstand air pressure. 

Here (right) we see what my original rim strip looks like. It has been in there since I built the bike up in late 2011. Amazingly, my too long spokes did not eat their way through this strip and damage my toobs!

It is also worth noting that my Fatback Uma 70's have vent holes in the rim extrusion right in the bead seat. Obviously, whatever rim sealing tape one chooses must cover these little land mines of leakage, or you'll be unsuccessful in your tubeless attempt. Fortunately, as mentioned, the Gorilla tape was the same dimension as the outside rim width.

Once I stretched on the Gorilla tape carefully, making only one round, I had what you see to the left here. The keys to success here are to start with laying in the tape as squarely as possible, then concentrate on getting it pulled fairly tight while you use your free hand's fingers to press down the tape alongside each bead seat and just alongside the holes drilled in the rim. This gives the tape something to grip on to as you stretch the tape coming off the roll slightly with your other hand. Do not worry about getting the tape to lay completely down on the rim just yet.

After making one complete round, (I would go around twice if there were no underlying rim strip), I overlapped the tape by about two inches and cut it off the roll. Then I carefully pushed the tape down into the rim well, always focusing on using my thumbs and pushing slightly towards the outside of the rim as I worked my way around. I did not focus any pressure at all in the center where the rim cutouts and spoke nipples are.

After getting the inner rim well pressed down and looking smooth, I focused pressure on the tape in the rim bead area, pressing it down with the tip of my thumb nail. I worked both edges until they were laying flat. Then I cleaned up the residual talc powder left from the tubed set up, ran a clean rag over everything to make sure there was no dirt or talc powder left, and then I laid in a layer of Uncle Dick's Bead Slip right on the rim bead seat area to aid in tubeless set up.

Then I needed to puncture the tape at the valve hole with an awl to allow for the installation of my tubeless valve stem. I have several valve stems I could use, but in this case, I chose the durable, ultra reliable Bontrager stems. These fit well on the single wall rim's inner well and with the "O" ring seal, it keeps the air where it belongs here.

Note that the threading on the valve stem does not go all the way to the base of the valve stem. Due to the thin, single wall extrusion of the Uma 70mm rim, I could not thread a nut on the stem down far enough to secure it. Then I needed to come up with a solution. I used several Avid brake caliper convex and concave washers to make up for the unthreaded portion of the valve stem. I ended up needing three to account for that, and the presta valve nut on top of that to tighten everything up.

Once the valve stems were secured, I removed the cores to make airing up the tires to seat the beads easier. Do this before mounting up the tires, because if you haven't gotten the Presta valve nut tight enough, it is easier to rectify without a tire on there! Now you are ready to mix your sealant, (if you make your own, like I do), or get your favorite sealant handy, because now it is time to mount those tires!

This is a trick I had to invent!

In my case, the Sterling tires had been run with tubes for a bit, and this stretched out the tires enough that when I mounted them for this tubeless installation, they were very loose fitting. I was afraid I would not get them to seat up properly, since I have a very small capacity air compressor to aid in mounting up tubeless tires.

I knew that the Uma 70's have a pretty deep drop in the rim well for a single wall extrusion. This makes things quite difficult. So, I figured out that by inverting the casing of the tire in the center of the tread, it pushes the side wall and bead to the outer parts of the rim. Now a short blast of air and I had the beads set easy-peasy! By the way, I introduced my sealant before airing up. My good buddy, MG, advised me to use 8oz. per tire, or 237ml each. That's a lot of sealant, but these are pretty big volume tires, so, they need a lot of sealant!That part done, I screwed in the valve cores and aired the tires back up.

Now is the time to take the tire and rim to inspect how your bead seated. You may need to air up those tires to a slightly higher pressure to fully seat the beads. I ended up taking my set up to 20psi. I would be very careful not to go a whole lot higher with this combo since the tires fit so loosely. Again, your mileage may vary here. I would maybe think about what Stan's advises here as they do not recommend going above 40psi with mountain bike tires.

Next- Take the wheel in hand and lay it nearly sideways while holding it on one side. Now tap the tire on the floor while turning the wheel in your hands after every tap slightly. I learned this trick from MG. Go all the way around tapping on the floor with the wheel nearly flat to the floor about three revolutions, then flip the wheel and repeat. This has the effect of splashing your sealant up around the bead area and will help to seal up the bead to the rim in a quick and efficient way.

The next thing I would recommend doing is to ride the set up right away for 20-30 minutes at least. This will ensure that the casing seals up and should allow you to know whether or not you have any leakage issues. In my case, everything came out rock solid. After 12 hours, the pressures were still where I had originally set them. If you notice leak down, I would suggest spraying the tires down with a solution of dish soap and water to identify exactly where you are losing air and address the situation accordingly. In my past experience, if you do everything above, the issue is usually a poor seal around the valve stem.

Now for some numbers: 

Wheel Weight:

• Rear before conversion = 8.03lbs
• Rear after conversion = 8.01lbs
• Front before conversion = 7.15lbs
• Front after conversion = 7.00lbs
• Tube Weight: 210gm/240gm
• Surly Standard "Toob" weight for reference = 490 grams each. 
• Sealant used: "MG" formula. 16 ounces between two tires. (Probably lost a small amount during set up) 

I haven't tried measuring the width yet. That will happen today when I get my hands on the calipers at work. I will update that here after I get that done.UPDATE: I measured the tires at 97mm wide w/tubes, now at 101mm wide tubeless.

All set up to go, sans toobage!

Impressions: My initial feeling by way of observing the tire casings is that going tubeless, (which removes the support of a tube), allowed the sidewalls to "pooch" out some more and if anything, it slightly flattened out the casings a bit more. Otherwise I did not immediately note any stretch. Again- I will make measurements today to ascertain if the tires have stretched at all.

On my ride to check out the set up, I did not adjust the air pressure from the 20psi I used to seat up the tires. I did this to compare the ride feel I had with tubes at 20psi, which I was familiar with. In my opinion, the harshness of the ride with tubes was completely removed. These tires with tubes were really harsh on sharp impacts. No more! The ride feel was far more damped and comfortable. I did also note that the tread area was hitting the snowpack all the way across the casing, so I do not feel that lowering the pressures way down will benefit this set up. That said, I probably will drop these down to 15psi and see how that goes.

So, overall my initial impressions are that by going tubeless I saved a miniscule amount of weight. In that sense, it was not worth doing it. (If you are coming off Surly tubes though, you could potentially save a lot of weight!)  However; the ride feel is 100% better and I sense that the rolling resistance has been lowered somewhat. In this view, going tubeless was totally worth doing. It made the Sterling a completely different experience. Stay tuned for updates...

Note: Using components not designed to be used as tubeless is a risk to the rider and may result in severe injury or death. I do not condone, nor recommend that anyone do what I have done with the components they possess. If you decide to set up your fat bike tires tubeless, you do so at you own risk and assume all responsibilities for any consequences from doing so and using them as such.