Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Singular Cycles

Singular Announces Titanium Kite:

Last week word came down concerning the new drop of titanium Singular Kite frames and forks. While titanium is often used as a frame material, it is less often seen used for a fork. 

I don't mean to gloss over the beautiful Kite model here, because it is a stunning bicycle. However; the fork is pretty amazing, and this comes down to its mode of construction. 

The drop outs and the fork crown are 3D printed, which allows for the exact placement of material for strength, and for aesthetic purposes, which cannot be achieved using traditional titanium stock and joinery methods. 

The Ti fork has a tapered steer tube, and it may not work for every bicycle, but if you have something compatible with this fork, you can purchase it separately HERE. 

I know, it's been a Singular Cycles week here. But I thought the fork on this Kite model was amazing. 

Image courtesy of Dangerholm Facebook page

Your Rims For Gravel Are Wimpy!

The athlete known as "Dangerholm", Gustav Gullholm, has produced a rim for gravel racing which he thinks will revolutionize the sport . Gullholm is a proponent of wide, 29" rubber for gravel and thinks rims are just not where they need to be for these wider tires. 

Working with a company called Faction Bike Studio, Gullholm is saying these 45mm inner rim width rims with a sort of "shark tooth" aero treatment will be the fastest wheel set on gravel in the coming year. For comparison, the rim on the left has a 30mm inner rim width. 

Gullholm feels the wider rim gives a better aero profile with the wider tires he prefers. Saying the 70mm depth profile and overall 52mm width works best with 29" X 2.2" - 2.25" tires, Gullholm claims these rims have proven themselves in simulations done by Faction Bike Studio.

Comments: While I have been a proponent of aero for gravel, this seems a bit extreme. How much do these rims weigh? I have no idea and Gullholm isn't saying at this point. But whatever they weigh, the weight has to be something of a negative here, one could easily assume. We may find out soon enough as Gullholm says these are rideable prototypes and the bike they will be going on will be unveiled at the Dresden Bicycle Show soon.  

Image courtesy of Factor Bikes

Factor Bikes Releases New Aluto Carbon Gravel Bike All-Arounder:

Factor Bikes announced on Thursday their newest gravel bike, the Aluto. Meant for longer days and rider comfort, the Aluto design is a bit different than Fator's Ostro model. 

Eschewing the move by many companies to stuff in larger tires, Factor has designed the Aluto to be optimized around a 45mm tire. Maximum tire clearance is 52mm in the front, but the rear is maxed out at 47mm. 

Factor also went against the grain with a shorter front/center and short reach for the handle bars shipped with this bike. Their reasoning is due to the longer hood length of modern gravel-oriented shifter/brake levers and for better rider comfort during longer rides. 

Image courtesy of Factor Bikes

Factor also states it shortened the rear center, and it steepened the head tube a bit over their Ostro model. Finally, a bit lower bottom bracket height rounds out the tweaks to this gravel bike.

The de rigueur down tube storage and internal everything routing is here as well. 

The Aluto is available as a frame set. with SRAM Force AXS XPLR, or Red AXS XPLR. The frame is also 1X or 2X compatible. (Electronic only)  Prices are $3,999.00 frame set, $6,999.00 Forsce AXS XPLR, and $8,699.00 Red AXS XPLR USD.

Comments: Yeah, this is cool and all, but shorter chain stays and steeper head tube angles? Seems a step backward in terms of rider comfort, in my opinion. (Or a bicycle aimed at roadies coming over to gravel) This bike was ridden by Factor's Brand Director, David Millar at Unbound this past June. He being a former road Pro, it would make sense to me if the Aluto was a more "fast-feeling" bike, and not necessarily an actual advancement in "rider comfort for longer rides" type bicycle. 

Oakley Meta Meta Vanguard Prizm. (Image courtesy of Oakley)

Oakley Releases Meta-Enabled Eyewear:

Your Sunglasses can now be "devices". Oakley has released their new range of "Meta-Enabled" smart-glasses. The new Meta Vanguard Prizm is the model in this range aimed at cyclists. 

You can pair these with a Garmin device, take images with the embedded camera, and listen to tunes via the onboard speakers. The Vanguard Prizm goes for about $500.00 USD and the battery will last "up to nine hours", according to Oakley.. 

Comments: They will sell every pair they can make. People are "device-mad" these days and I see no end in sight. Yeah..... I don't know man.... I cannot get away from having to charge this and that fast enough as it is. I'm in the camp of "Lithium-Ion batteries are The Devil" now. 

So, for me? Not so much. But these are amazing technology and Oakley eyewear is pretty much the standard for activities in the Sun to protect your eyeballs. 

That's a wrap for this week. Get out and ride those bicycles!

Minus Ten Review 2009-35

My Pofahl with straight bars. Dang! That looks good too!

Ten years ago this week on the blog I was talking about one of the crazier weekends I had done in my lifetime, and maybe the craziest thing outside of Trans Iowa. Because, well, not much is crazier than putting on a free event and staying up for 40+ hours. This trip I talked about wasn't that nutty. But it was close.

It started out by driving my family out to Omaha Nebraska after work (!) and then getting them settled in at a friends place. Then I took off for Lincoln, Nebraska in the dark, by myself, and hooked up with my brother MG to get some Oakley glasses to review, and then (I cannot remember this part, sadly) I talked with Joel Dyke and Joe Fox. Afterward, I went to the D Street Motel and shacked up with Corey, "Cornbread" Godfrey. The next morning, Matt Wills, Cornbread, and Troy Krause led me on the wildest urban ride through people's yards to the MoPac Trail head where the last Good Life Gravel Adventure started.

I rode that event until I started falling asleep on the bike going down hill at 30mph! I called it in and Corey told me to sit tight, that "someone " would be out to fetch me. It was the winner, Troy Krause!

Then I went back to the D Street where I was taken care of by a gal that was CVO's girlfriend at the time, I think, and then MG and I took a case and a half of Red Bull Cola and went to Gothenburg, Nebraska where the next day we rode at Potter's Pasture. Then we hightailed it back, I drove solo from Lincoln to Omaha, collected my family, and drove back to Waterloo, Iowa.

Crazy! 

Minus Ten Review 2009-35

My Pofahl with straight bars. Dang! That looks good too!

Ten years ago this week on the blog I was talking about one of the crazier weekends I had done in my lifetime, and maybe the craziest thing outside of Trans Iowa. Because, well, not much is crazier than putting on a free event and staying up for 40+ hours. This trip I talked about wasn't that nutty. But it was close.

It started out by driving my family out to Omaha Nebraska after work (!) and then getting them settled in at a friends place. Then I took off for Lincoln, Nebraska in the dark, by myself, and hooked up with my brother MG to get some Oakley glasses to review, and then (I cannot remember this part, sadly) I talked with Joel Dyke and Joe Fox. Afterward, I went to the D Street Motel and shacked up with Corey, "Cornbread" Godfrey. The next morning, Matt Wills, Cornbread, and Troy Krause led me on the wildest urban ride through people's yards to the MoPac Trail head where the last Good Life Gravel Adventure started.

I rode that event until I started falling asleep on the bike going down hill at 30mph! I called it in and Corey told me to sit tight, that "someone " would be out to fetch me. It was the winner, Troy Krause!

Then I went back to the D Street where I was taken care of by a gal that was CVO's girlfriend at the time, I think, and then MG and I took a case and a half of Red Bull Cola and went to Gothenburg, Nebraska where the next day we rode at Potter's Pasture. Then we hightailed it back, I drove solo from Lincoln to Omaha, collected my family, and drove back to Waterloo, Iowa.

Crazy! 

Friday News And Views

The Germans do Fat!

Fat Bike News:

Seems like everyone is getting in on the fat biking bandwagon these days. Now I see that German brand Canyon Bikes is doing a high end offering dubbed the "Dude CF".

Canyon bikes are highly regarded and, unfortunately, unavailable in the U.S. However; I suspect folks connected with the Topeak-Ergon team might just be sporting these, since they are sponsored by Canyon Bikes.

No hard details yet on this other than it is a 190mm spaced rear that is said to fit the biggest available tires. Note the DT Swiss branded rims. Schwalbe tires too. Think fat biking is a fad now? No, it isn't, and if you want to know, the fat bike genre has a lot more going for it than the 27.5"er craze. My opinion is that the fat bike will gain more sales than the 27.5"er, "enduro" bikes, and if you exclude the move by many companies to simply convert all their 26" stock to 27.5"ers, (to simplify and streamline their bottom line more than anything else), fat bikes will easily outpace the "mid-sized" wheels soon. Well......maybe not in Europe.

Twin Six: METAL

Twin Six "Standard Fat":

Twin Six, (yes.....the cycling clothing folks), are busy bringing some "hardware" to the table for all you bikenerds out there like me. This is a bit of a peak at a titanium frame/carbon fork fat bike set up that Twin Six designed and tested in house. The company line is as follows.....

"Operation Ride Metal stems from our pride and dedication to the sport as well as our cycling heritage. With an everything you need and nothing you don't philosophy, the Standard Fat is inspired by our hunger for precision and drive for classic aesthetics. The result is a lean T6 titanium machine weighing in at 4lbs 2 oz (medium frame & fork). The chassis boasts competition driven geometry, Twin Six engineered dropouts, covert cable stops, a 100mm bottom bracket shell, 170mm rear spacing, and clearance for five inch rubber. The 44mm head tube is paired with a svelte carbon fork and adorned by a Twin Six silver plated brass head badge. Target price point for frame, fork, seat collar, and T6 designed top cap is $2200 and will be available late fall."

The "Standard Fat" sports typically sano T6 graphics and classy looks. 

T6 designed drop outs

 The "Standard Fat" also sports an interesting drop out, as mentioned- designed by T6,-and it looks pretty clean and elegant. One has to wonder if perchance that a "swinging" type drop out, or other modular bits might be in the future since the drop is a bolted on piece. 

Removable cable stops.....because you could go single speed? It would make sense. However it goes, this is a decently priced offering that looks great. Oh! And did you catch that it fits big tires with a 170mm OLD rear end? Don't you have to have a 190mmOLD rear to do that? Well, I asked about that and T6 responded that it can fit a 4.8" tire on an 80mm rim with their manipulated seat and chain stay configuration. 

While carbon is all the rage for fat bike frames, I can tell you that titanium rides super smoothly on fat wheels. Better than most rigs. It really makes a difference and of course- it is METAL. What else would Twin Six make a bike out of? 

The GTDRI set up: The bike survived!

 Gear Assessment From The GTDRI:

Well, if you've been reading along this week, you know all about the ill-fated GTDRI event. Now I want to talk about the gear I used for this ride. 

I decided to take the Tamland Two out, and besides the cassette gearing being woefully over-geared for the hills and my fitness level, it was a great rig for the task. I could go on in minutiae about what I liked, but I'll just hit the highlights. If you have specific queries, just hit me up in the comments section and I'll be glad to answer you. 

•  Geometry: The downhill performance at speeds of up to 40mph was stable and I felt that I could totally trust this bike. 
• The TRP Spyre brakes: Both Dan and I were using these brakes with different levers and we both agreed that the modulation and power was better than BB-7's. Oh.....and they were quiet the entire ride. 
• Challenge "Gravel Grinder" tires: If these tires were going to blow apart on me, they would have by now and particularly on this ride. On wide rims they are fantastic on loose gravel. if a tad "loose" feeling, to borrow NASCAR terminology. 
• Ergon SM-3 Saddle: I wasn't 100% sold on this perch at first, but it has become a favorite now. Zero saddle issues- no numbness, and it has a perfect "sweet spot", but the other positions are fine and comfy as well. 
• Bike Bag Dude "Chaff Bag": Instantly turns a two water bottle cage bike into a 4 bottle cage bike, and having two bottles on the bars is awesome. Those old Euro racer dudes were on to something with that idea. 

The bike was great, and the gear worked very well. As far as the crash goes, the bar tape got nicked- that's it. 

Bike Bag Dude Chaff Bags work great as food holders, bottle cages, or for smaller items. 

These tires really are great for gravel. Fast, wide, stable.

My Oakleys got trashed.

 There was one item that got totaled in the wreck and that was my Oakley shades. Near as I can tell my helmet, which the Oakleys were perched in, went flying off my head when the truck hit me, (I didn't have the helmet buckled yet, as I was walking the bike), and it smashed glasses first into the gravel or something. Anyway, they are a total loss. If that's all I lost in this, well then I count myself very fortunate. Shades can be replaced. Bodies? Lives? Not so much. 

New Raleigh Willard Two

New Gravel Rig From Raleigh:

Finally, I have known about this rig for a bit, but I saw where it had been talked about on-line now, so I feel free to say a thing or three here. 

The Raleigh guys were the ones that picked my brain on gravel specific features for a bicycle's design, and they did everything I advised them to with the Tamland. Now they have done similar geometry with an aluminum frame and carbon fiber fork and dubbed the bike "Willard". I instantly thought of that rat based horror flick when I heard the name, but apparently, that wasn't the inspiration for the rig's name. (I asked) Anyway, this is supposed to be lighter and it will come in two flavors- The Willard Two, a 105 equipped rig, and the Willard One, a Sora 9 speed rig. The retail prices are a step lower than the Tamland's are, so they should find a good audience out there. 

The only thing I am a bit wary of is the aluminum frame. I might be pleasantly surprised, if ever I get a leg thrown over one, but I just don't know about aluminum on gravel roads. Maybe I could use some enlightenment there? Maybe I could. At any rate, the good stuff is there, like Shimano components, TRP Spyre brakes, and Clement MSO 40mm tires. They claim it will tip the scales at 22 or so pounds, and I bet with a judicious choice in wheels and a few component swaps it would easily dive under 20lbs, if that is a goal.

Okay, I am going to be out for the weekend again taking my son to the last events at Iowa Speedway for the season. Back on Sunday at the earliest. Meanwhile, ya'all have a great weekend and get yer ride on!

Friday News And Views

The Germans do Fat!

Fat Bike News:

Seems like everyone is getting in on the fat biking bandwagon these days. Now I see that German brand Canyon Bikes is doing a high end offering dubbed the "Dude CF".

Canyon bikes are highly regarded and, unfortunately, unavailable in the U.S. However; I suspect folks connected with the Topeak-Ergon team might just be sporting these, since they are sponsored by Canyon Bikes.

No hard details yet on this other than it is a 190mm spaced rear that is said to fit the biggest available tires. Note the DT Swiss branded rims. Schwalbe tires too. Think fat biking is a fad now? No, it isn't, and if you want to know, the fat bike genre has a lot more going for it than the 27.5"er craze. My opinion is that the fat bike will gain more sales than the 27.5"er, "enduro" bikes, and if you exclude the move by many companies to simply convert all their 26" stock to 27.5"ers, (to simplify and streamline their bottom line more than anything else), fat bikes will easily outpace the "mid-sized" wheels soon. Well......maybe not in Europe.

Twin Six: METAL

Twin Six "Standard Fat":

Twin Six, (yes.....the cycling clothing folks), are busy bringing some "hardware" to the table for all you bikenerds out there like me. This is a bit of a peak at a titanium frame/carbon fork fat bike set up that Twin Six designed and tested in house. The company line is as follows.....

"Operation Ride Metal stems from our pride and dedication to the sport as well as our cycling heritage. With an everything you need and nothing you don't philosophy, the Standard Fat is inspired by our hunger for precision and drive for classic aesthetics. The result is a lean T6 titanium machine weighing in at 4lbs 2 oz (medium frame & fork). The chassis boasts competition driven geometry, Twin Six engineered dropouts, covert cable stops, a 100mm bottom bracket shell, 170mm rear spacing, and clearance for five inch rubber. The 44mm head tube is paired with a svelte carbon fork and adorned by a Twin Six silver plated brass head badge. Target price point for frame, fork, seat collar, and T6 designed top cap is $2200 and will be available late fall."

The "Standard Fat" sports typically sano T6 graphics and classy looks. 

T6 designed drop outs

 The "Standard Fat" also sports an interesting drop out, as mentioned- designed by T6,-and it looks pretty clean and elegant. One has to wonder if perchance that a "swinging" type drop out, or other modular bits might be in the future since the drop is a bolted on piece. 

Removable cable stops.....because you could go single speed? It would make sense. However it goes, this is a decently priced offering that looks great. Oh! And did you catch that it fits big tires with a 170mm OLD rear end? Don't you have to have a 190mmOLD rear to do that? Well, I asked about that and T6 responded that it can fit a 4.8" tire on an 80mm rim with their manipulated seat and chain stay configuration. 

While carbon is all the rage for fat bike frames, I can tell you that titanium rides super smoothly on fat wheels. Better than most rigs. It really makes a difference and of course- it is METAL. What else would Twin Six make a bike out of? 

The GTDRI set up: The bike survived!

 Gear Assessment From The GTDRI:

Well, if you've been reading along this week, you know all about the ill-fated GTDRI event. Now I want to talk about the gear I used for this ride. 

I decided to take the Tamland Two out, and besides the cassette gearing being woefully over-geared for the hills and my fitness level, it was a great rig for the task. I could go on in minutiae about what I liked, but I'll just hit the highlights. If you have specific queries, just hit me up in the comments section and I'll be glad to answer you. 

•  Geometry: The downhill performance at speeds of up to 40mph was stable and I felt that I could totally trust this bike. 
• The TRP Spyre brakes: Both Dan and I were using these brakes with different levers and we both agreed that the modulation and power was better than BB-7's. Oh.....and they were quiet the entire ride. 
• Challenge "Gravel Grinder" tires: If these tires were going to blow apart on me, they would have by now and particularly on this ride. On wide rims they are fantastic on loose gravel. if a tad "loose" feeling, to borrow NASCAR terminology. 
• Ergon SM-3 Saddle: I wasn't 100% sold on this perch at first, but it has become a favorite now. Zero saddle issues- no numbness, and it has a perfect "sweet spot", but the other positions are fine and comfy as well. 
• Bike Bag Dude "Chaff Bag": Instantly turns a two water bottle cage bike into a 4 bottle cage bike, and having two bottles on the bars is awesome. Those old Euro racer dudes were on to something with that idea. 

The bike was great, and the gear worked very well. As far as the crash goes, the bar tape got nicked- that's it. 

Bike Bag Dude Chaff Bags work great as food holders, bottle cages, or for smaller items. 

These tires really are great for gravel. Fast, wide, stable.

My Oakleys got trashed.

 There was one item that got totaled in the wreck and that was my Oakley shades. Near as I can tell my helmet, which the Oakleys were perched in, went flying off my head when the truck hit me, (I didn't have the helmet buckled yet, as I was walking the bike), and it smashed glasses first into the gravel or something. Anyway, they are a total loss. If that's all I lost in this, well then I count myself very fortunate. Shades can be replaced. Bodies? Lives? Not so much. 

New Raleigh Willard Two

New Gravel Rig From Raleigh:

Finally, I have known about this rig for a bit, but I saw where it had been talked about on-line now, so I feel free to say a thing or three here. 

The Raleigh guys were the ones that picked my brain on gravel specific features for a bicycle's design, and they did everything I advised them to with the Tamland. Now they have done similar geometry with an aluminum frame and carbon fiber fork and dubbed the bike "Willard". I instantly thought of that rat based horror flick when I heard the name, but apparently, that wasn't the inspiration for the rig's name. (I asked) Anyway, this is supposed to be lighter and it will come in two flavors- The Willard Two, a 105 equipped rig, and the Willard One, a Sora 9 speed rig. The retail prices are a step lower than the Tamland's are, so they should find a good audience out there. 

The only thing I am a bit wary of is the aluminum frame. I might be pleasantly surprised, if ever I get a leg thrown over one, but I just don't know about aluminum on gravel roads. Maybe I could use some enlightenment there? Maybe I could. At any rate, the good stuff is there, like Shimano components, TRP Spyre brakes, and Clement MSO 40mm tires. They claim it will tip the scales at 22 or so pounds, and I bet with a judicious choice in wheels and a few component swaps it would easily dive under 20lbs, if that is a goal.

Okay, I am going to be out for the weekend again taking my son to the last events at Iowa Speedway for the season. Back on Sunday at the earliest. Meanwhile, ya'all have a great weekend and get yer ride on!

Friday News And Views

The new T.I.V9 header

Holy cow! It's Friday already. These holidays with Mondays off still throw me for a loop.

Trans Iowa V9: 

News from the upcoming Trans Iowa now- We have a new header on the site for the 2013 edition of the event. It is another design by Jeff Kerkove, who is with Topeak/Ergon these days, but was the guy that helped me get Trans Iowa going all those years ago now. (By the way, this isn't the first time that image has been used for a Trans Iowa header!) The image is from a deal that Jeff used to do back in 2006 called "Friday Night Lights", which was a weekly gravel grinder in the evenings which always ended in darkness.

We also want to announce that Oakley has committed to helping us out with Trans Iowa next year. They have been on-board with us for several of the past Trans Iowa events and we're proud to have them helping out.

Just to let you T.I. freaks know- registration will happen in early November, so stay tuned for the details on that to be announced sometime in October.

Via Shed Fire

On One Floater 4.0" Fat Bike Tire:

Not that there is anything at all wrong with Surly or 45NRTH tires, because there isn't, but competition is a good thing. That's why I am excited about these new On One "Floater" 4.0" tires for fat biking.

There was some banter earlier on last year about some new Vee Rubber fat bike tires coming out, but they were  huge, (pardon the pun), disappointments due to their questionable tread design and outrageous weight. Hopefully these On One Floater tires can pick up the mantle of being a true option to the other two brands, (which are really one other brand, since they both are Quality Bicycle Product brands.)

Surly seems bent on going for the bigger-than-big fat bike tires, which satisfies the craving many fat bikers have to be outrageous for the sake of being outrageous. I, on the other hand, like these 4.0" sized tires which I think will make better all-around treads for more than just snow and sand.

On One has been having their tires, (for the short time they have had tires), made to a high standard. I have some 29"er On One Smorgasbord tires which have been really good, and I expect these will be similar. (Or at least I hope they would be.) I'll likely pair this up with a Larry up front, or perhaps a Nate 3.8"er. I imagine two Floaters would work well too, but we'll have to see what they end up costing before I get too crazy.

Another reason to like tires like these? Well, with a winter forecast calling for above average temperatures and below average precipitation, why go for 100mm rims and 4.7" tires? You'll likely need less than that, and these could stay on your bike all year long. Just a thought to ponder.

A book by Elle, Lucy, and Laura

Hop In The Saddle:

Way back in T.I.V1 I met Joe Partridge, a single speeder, and one of the first 9 to ever finish a Trans Iowa. Well, last year Joe came back, and brought along the lovely Elle Thalheimer with him as his support person. I got to chatting with Elle at the finish line, and despite my almost 40 hours of sleep deprivation and intake of Templeton Rye, I remember her as being a bright, witty, and talented women who had just published a book about touring Oregon.  I hear that isn't all she's been up to of late either.

Apparently their is a new project she is involved in along with two other women out there in "Portlandia". I got wind of this through Joe, once again, who sent me the following bit as part of a message...

"You are getting this email because I think you are someone that likes bikes and beer and would like to see a project like this come to fruition."

"Oh crap! He's on to me", I say to myself. Of course, I do really like bikes and beer. So I read through the entire dealio. Seems that something is going on with Kickstarter to raise some funding for the publishing and what not. So, if a cycle tour of Portland's finest beer brewing establishments sounds intriguing to you, check out the link here. 

Now if I ever get to the mythical land of Portlandia I will be in big trouble. Beer and bicycles. Sounds like a good time to me....

3GR: Yep- it'll be a happenin' again at the same time, same place as always- Gateway Park parking lot at 8:30am.  There is a running event going on in Cedar Falls also, so if the parking lot is crazy, I'll be in front of Cup Of Joe's instead. 

That's all folks! Have a great weekend and ride yer bicycles! 

Friday News And Views

The new T.I.V9 header

Holy cow! It's Friday already. These holidays with Mondays off still throw me for a loop.

Trans Iowa V9: 

News from the upcoming Trans Iowa now- We have a new header on the site for the 2013 edition of the event. It is another design by Jeff Kerkove, who is with Topeak/Ergon these days, but was the guy that helped me get Trans Iowa going all those years ago now. (By the way, this isn't the first time that image has been used for a Trans Iowa header!) The image is from a deal that Jeff used to do back in 2006 called "Friday Night Lights", which was a weekly gravel grinder in the evenings which always ended in darkness.

We also want to announce that Oakley has committed to helping us out with Trans Iowa next year. They have been on-board with us for several of the past Trans Iowa events and we're proud to have them helping out.

Just to let you T.I. freaks know- registration will happen in early November, so stay tuned for the details on that to be announced sometime in October.

Via Shed Fire

On One Floater 4.0" Fat Bike Tire:

Not that there is anything at all wrong with Surly or 45NRTH tires, because there isn't, but competition is a good thing. That's why I am excited about these new On One "Floater" 4.0" tires for fat biking.

There was some banter earlier on last year about some new Vee Rubber fat bike tires coming out, but they were  huge, (pardon the pun), disappointments due to their questionable tread design and outrageous weight. Hopefully these On One Floater tires can pick up the mantle of being a true option to the other two brands, (which are really one other brand, since they both are Quality Bicycle Product brands.)

Surly seems bent on going for the bigger-than-big fat bike tires, which satisfies the craving many fat bikers have to be outrageous for the sake of being outrageous. I, on the other hand, like these 4.0" sized tires which I think will make better all-around treads for more than just snow and sand.

On One has been having their tires, (for the short time they have had tires), made to a high standard. I have some 29"er On One Smorgasbord tires which have been really good, and I expect these will be similar. (Or at least I hope they would be.) I'll likely pair this up with a Larry up front, or perhaps a Nate 3.8"er. I imagine two Floaters would work well too, but we'll have to see what they end up costing before I get too crazy.

Another reason to like tires like these? Well, with a winter forecast calling for above average temperatures and below average precipitation, why go for 100mm rims and 4.7" tires? You'll likely need less than that, and these could stay on your bike all year long. Just a thought to ponder.

A book by Elle, Lucy, and Laura

Hop In The Saddle:

Way back in T.I.V1 I met Joe Partridge, a single speeder, and one of the first 9 to ever finish a Trans Iowa. Well, last year Joe came back, and brought along the lovely Elle Thalheimer with him as his support person. I got to chatting with Elle at the finish line, and despite my almost 40 hours of sleep deprivation and intake of Templeton Rye, I remember her as being a bright, witty, and talented women who had just published a book about touring Oregon.  I hear that isn't all she's been up to of late either.

Apparently their is a new project she is involved in along with two other women out there in "Portlandia". I got wind of this through Joe, once again, who sent me the following bit as part of a message...

"You are getting this email because I think you are someone that likes bikes and beer and would like to see a project like this come to fruition."

"Oh crap! He's on to me", I say to myself. Of course, I do really like bikes and beer. So I read through the entire dealio. Seems that something is going on with Kickstarter to raise some funding for the publishing and what not. So, if a cycle tour of Portland's finest beer brewing establishments sounds intriguing to you, check out the link here. 

Now if I ever get to the mythical land of Portlandia I will be in big trouble. Beer and bicycles. Sounds like a good time to me....

3GR: Yep- it'll be a happenin' again at the same time, same place as always- Gateway Park parking lot at 8:30am.  There is a running event going on in Cedar Falls also, so if the parking lot is crazy, I'll be in front of Cup Of Joe's instead. 

That's all folks! Have a great weekend and ride yer bicycles! 

Friday News And Views

A week ago I talked about Retroshift, a component that is a different take on shifting your drop bar bike. Instead of using STI/brifter type shifters in demanding situations like cyclo-cross, or gravel grinding, where grit, dirt, and grime are common and for which these types of integrated brake/shifters weren't designed for, these Retroshifters are suggested. They use the simple, durable, and easy to find down tube/bar end shift levers which you supply yourself.

Retroshift sent over a pair for review and testing. I am going to put these on my Black Mountain Cycles "Monster Cross" bike and give them a go. I have been surprised by the amount of interest these have generated in just a weeks time with folks asking me specific questions about these. I'll get them mounted and tried out very soon and hopefully be able to answer all your questions then.

These will definitely get the full on test when I race them at CIRREM in a couple of weeks. That will likely be a messy, gritty 65 miles of tough gravel grinding. Looking at the forecast, it should be fairly warm and dry, but the frost in the ground may provide just the messy conditions these shifters were made to be best in. Stay tuned......

Oakley "Gearbox" watch

To The Winner Goes....

Well, you know the rest of that saying. In T.I.V8, this will include an Oakley Gearbox watch. This is a pretty fantastic award to whomever manages to finish T.I.V8 first.

So, why a watch? Good question! When Rob Versteegh, the Oakley contact I have, called me up about this, he thought doing something unique was in order. Some may remember that we have had Oakley sponsor us with eyewear in the past. But Rob reasoned that most folks coming to this event would likely be good with whatever eyewear they were using.

So, since Trans Iowa has time limits, and doing whatever you do out there during a Trans Iowa is affected by your use of time in a efficient manner, Rob suggested that a timepiece would maybe be a significant reminder to the winner that Trans Iowa was partly a challenge in time use. I thought it was a great idea.

That isn't all. The plan is to have the timepiece made even more unique with some custom engraved message. We'll have to determine what that might be. Any suggestions out there?

Speeding Up: My schedule of events is heating up now going from Winter into Spring. I mentioned CIRREM above, but before that, (only a week before that!), I go to do the annual ritual that is Frostbike. This will once again include the trek over to Northfield, Minnesota's Mike's Bikes. That should be another epic late winter shindig for sure.

The next gig, CIRREM will be a metric gravel grinder, then in about two weeks time after that, I go back to El Paso, Texas, where I have some unfinished business with a certain rocky trail to attend to there. Once I'm back from that, I have a super-top secret double check on the Trans Iowa V8 course. Then about a week or so later, I go to the Renegade Gents Race. Final prep for Trans Iowa will entail most of the rest of the month of April.

Then it'll be summer before I know it! Well, time's a wastin', better get my bags packed and my ducks in a row!

Have a great weekend!

Friday News And Views

A week ago I talked about Retroshift, a component that is a different take on shifting your drop bar bike. Instead of using STI/brifter type shifters in demanding situations like cyclo-cross, or gravel grinding, where grit, dirt, and grime are common and for which these types of integrated brake/shifters weren't designed for, these Retroshifters are suggested. They use the simple, durable, and easy to find down tube/bar end shift levers which you supply yourself.

Retroshift sent over a pair for review and testing. I am going to put these on my Black Mountain Cycles "Monster Cross" bike and give them a go. I have been surprised by the amount of interest these have generated in just a weeks time with folks asking me specific questions about these. I'll get them mounted and tried out very soon and hopefully be able to answer all your questions then.

These will definitely get the full on test when I race them at CIRREM in a couple of weeks. That will likely be a messy, gritty 65 miles of tough gravel grinding. Looking at the forecast, it should be fairly warm and dry, but the frost in the ground may provide just the messy conditions these shifters were made to be best in. Stay tuned......

Oakley "Gearbox" watch

To The Winner Goes....

Well, you know the rest of that saying. In T.I.V8, this will include an Oakley Gearbox watch. This is a pretty fantastic award to whomever manages to finish T.I.V8 first.

So, why a watch? Good question! When Rob Versteegh, the Oakley contact I have, called me up about this, he thought doing something unique was in order. Some may remember that we have had Oakley sponsor us with eyewear in the past. But Rob reasoned that most folks coming to this event would likely be good with whatever eyewear they were using.

So, since Trans Iowa has time limits, and doing whatever you do out there during a Trans Iowa is affected by your use of time in a efficient manner, Rob suggested that a timepiece would maybe be a significant reminder to the winner that Trans Iowa was partly a challenge in time use. I thought it was a great idea.

That isn't all. The plan is to have the timepiece made even more unique with some custom engraved message. We'll have to determine what that might be. Any suggestions out there?

Speeding Up: My schedule of events is heating up now going from Winter into Spring. I mentioned CIRREM above, but before that, (only a week before that!), I go to do the annual ritual that is Frostbike. This will once again include the trek over to Northfield, Minnesota's Mike's Bikes. That should be another epic late winter shindig for sure.

The next gig, CIRREM will be a metric gravel grinder, then in about two weeks time after that, I go back to El Paso, Texas, where I have some unfinished business with a certain rocky trail to attend to there. Once I'm back from that, I have a super-top secret double check on the Trans Iowa V8 course. Then about a week or so later, I go to the Renegade Gents Race. Final prep for Trans Iowa will entail most of the rest of the month of April.

Then it'll be summer before I know it! Well, time's a wastin', better get my bags packed and my ducks in a row!

Have a great weekend!

Oakley Jawbones One Year Review

Oakley Jawbones Eyewear: One Year And Counting....

The Oakley Jawbones eyewear has been in the house and on my face for a whole year now. I have been wearing a couple of other models from another company's line of late, for testing purposes, and I wanted to draw some comparisons to the Jawbones both positive and negative.

First off, the Jawbones have been trouble free all year. I have religiously kept them in their soft bag when not wearing them, and I have always stowed the lenses not in use in the hard case that was provided with the Jawbones. I have zero scratches and no degradation of the frame's structure over the year of use has been noticed. I have swapped out the lenses a fair amount, and the system works flawlessly to this day. So for the structure and day to day wear issues, the Jawbones score a perfect 100%.

Now for the comparo. The other brand's glasses have no surrounding frame. I happen to appreciate this over the Jawbones, which obviously do not have that feature. However; for a full framed sun protection device, the Jawbones do not seem to "get in the way". I only was a bit annoyed after having not worn the Jawbones for a bit and then swapping over to them again from the frameless design. I lost that sensation after wearing the Jawbones again after an hour or so, and honestly, I do not even notice the frames in my periphery vision anymore unless I think about looking for that, which unless I am doing a review, I wouldn't ordinarily do! I  just note this, and please keep in mind, I have a large noggin, so smaller faced folks may not even notice the frame's edges when wearing these.

Air Flow: The other glasses I have recently tried have quite the wrap around effect, and due to this, the airflow around the eye is restricted. I thought this might actually be a plus in their favor, but with the hot, stifling summer we''ve had, I found the eyewear to be too hot at times. Going back to the Jawbones revealed that the airflow is there while wearing them, but it isn't annoying, or even that noticeable unless you have had glasses on that restict airflow, like I had been wearing. I liked the effect for hot weather, and obviously, this helps keep things from fogging up as well.

Optics: Obviously Oakley's claim to fame is their precision optics and coatings. Although the other eyewear is decent in this regard that I have been trying, you just can't approach the quality of vision you get with Oakley. There were times where while wearing the other brand's glasses, I was wondering why things looked grainy, fuzzy, or just not as sharply in focus. I found out why when I slapped the Oakleys on my head again. There just isn't anything that compares, and that's that.

Conclusions: The Oakley Jawbones passed the one year mark with little to no evidence that they had been used a bunch in everything from rain, mud, dust, and dirt. No scratches, and everything works as it should after a full year. The quality of sight you get with these is unsurpassed, and the comfort of the Jawbones is tops as well. What's not to like? Well, when they are not in use, it is a bit of a negative when compared to the others eyewear! Jawbones: Good stuff and I would call them "Best In Class" with no reservations.

Note: These Jawbones were provided to me at no charge for review. I have not been paid, nor bribed for this review, and in fact, until this appeared here, Oakley and their agents had no idea I was writing this up. This is my honest take on this product.

Oakley Jawbones One Year Review

Oakley Jawbones Eyewear: One Year And Counting....

The Oakley Jawbones eyewear has been in the house and on my face for a whole year now. I have been wearing a couple of other models from another company's line of late, for testing purposes, and I wanted to draw some comparisons to the Jawbones both positive and negative.

First off, the Jawbones have been trouble free all year. I have religiously kept them in their soft bag when not wearing them, and I have always stowed the lenses not in use in the hard case that was provided with the Jawbones. I have zero scratches and no degradation of the frame's structure over the year of use has been noticed. I have swapped out the lenses a fair amount, and the system works flawlessly to this day. So for the structure and day to day wear issues, the Jawbones score a perfect 100%.

Now for the comparo. The other brand's glasses have no surrounding frame. I happen to appreciate this over the Jawbones, which obviously do not have that feature. However; for a full framed sun protection device, the Jawbones do not seem to "get in the way". I only was a bit annoyed after having not worn the Jawbones for a bit and then swapping over to them again from the frameless design. I lost that sensation after wearing the Jawbones again after an hour or so, and honestly, I do not even notice the frames in my periphery vision anymore unless I think about looking for that, which unless I am doing a review, I wouldn't ordinarily do! I  just note this, and please keep in mind, I have a large noggin, so smaller faced folks may not even notice the frame's edges when wearing these.

Air Flow: The other glasses I have recently tried have quite the wrap around effect, and due to this, the airflow around the eye is restricted. I thought this might actually be a plus in their favor, but with the hot, stifling summer we''ve had, I found the eyewear to be too hot at times. Going back to the Jawbones revealed that the airflow is there while wearing them, but it isn't annoying, or even that noticeable unless you have had glasses on that restict airflow, like I had been wearing. I liked the effect for hot weather, and obviously, this helps keep things from fogging up as well.

Optics: Obviously Oakley's claim to fame is their precision optics and coatings. Although the other eyewear is decent in this regard that I have been trying, you just can't approach the quality of vision you get with Oakley. There were times where while wearing the other brand's glasses, I was wondering why things looked grainy, fuzzy, or just not as sharply in focus. I found out why when I slapped the Oakleys on my head again. There just isn't anything that compares, and that's that.

Conclusions: The Oakley Jawbones passed the one year mark with little to no evidence that they had been used a bunch in everything from rain, mud, dust, and dirt. No scratches, and everything works as it should after a full year. The quality of sight you get with these is unsurpassed, and the comfort of the Jawbones is tops as well. What's not to like? Well, when they are not in use, it is a bit of a negative when compared to the others eyewear! Jawbones: Good stuff and I would call them "Best In Class" with no reservations.

Note: These Jawbones were provided to me at no charge for review. I have not been paid, nor bribed for this review, and in fact, until this appeared here, Oakley and their agents had no idea I was writing this up. This is my honest take on this product.

Six Things I Can't Do Without

Tubeless Tires (Especially Bontrager's TLR System) For Mountain Biking: There was a time when I was highly skeptical of the whole tubeless tire technology thing. The system that changed my mind, and that I think is still the best, is Bontrager's "TLR" system for 29"ers. It is bombproof in my experience. I did have a couple of hiccups with it at first, but ever since the first go round, I have been totally impressed with this tubeless system. I like others as well, but Bonty's is still the best.

E

Ergon Grips: (Especially the GP-1's) I have been riding with Ergon grips since 2005 and I wouldn't ever go back to traditional round grips. I have tried almost all of Ergon's grip styles, and I like all of them, but the first is still the best. The GP-1's I first started using in 2005 are still going strong in 2010 on one of my favorite bikes. Pain free hands are awesome to have on mtb rides. I thought it would never happen, but thanks to Ergon, it did for me.

O

Oakley Jawbones Eyewear : I have been wearing these for a year now and since the time I got them, I wore nothing else until a recent review assignment that I had to do on another brand. I'll tell you what, nobody nails optics like Oakley does. Nobody. Plus, add in the lens features that repel sweat and moisture, the anti-scratch feature, and the nose and ear materials that Oakley uses, and it is a no-brainer. Expensive? Brutally so. Worth it? Absolutely. They are my eyes for crying out loud. It isn't like I can get more eyes if I don't take care of them.

Ragley Carnegie's Bar: You know, when I get back to riding one of the two rigs I have set up with the Carnegie's Bars on them, I realize all over again how much I like these. The sweep is right in the sweet spot, and my control over the bike in corners just feels right with the Carnegie's.

Don't get me wrong, I still love drop bars, but if I have to ride a non-drop bar bike, these are my favorite bars yet. Now in carbon, which have a nice amount of give too. Sweet!

OS Bikes Blackbuck: If I had only one single speed, this would be it. The OS Bikes Blackbuck isn't a "high end" rig, it isn't made of the latest "unobtanium" frame material, and it isn't some high cache' custom frame builder's rig. It is a frame with some style and functionality to boot.

Not only that, but it is super versatile and can be set up with all sorts of forks and handle bar set ups. (Just ask me!) Good news: OS Bikes should soon have the "Gen II" frames in stock in three different sizes!

Salsa Cycles Fargo: And if I had to whittle it down to only one bike? This would be the winner. The Fargo can do it all, and do most of it as well as any bike can. I can single track it, I can gravel grind it, I can road ride it, and I can commute it. Hey, it's even pretty dang good at all of that as well! Maybe it can't do the "big" stuff off road, and maybe it's overbuilt to road ride, but between those margins, it has you well covered. Bonus: This bike, for whatever reasons, hits me as the most comfortable, best fitting bike I have. So much so that I am afraid to change anything on it! (But I still do, occasionally.)

And there you have it. Six things I can think of straight away if you ask me what are my favorite bicycles/bicycle related products. There are more things that could be added to this list, but not many that I think are almost perfect and would be very hard to improve upon.

Have a great weekend! Ride yer bikes. Have fun!

Six Things I Can't Do Without

Tubeless Tires (Especially Bontrager's TLR System) For Mountain Biking: There was a time when I was highly skeptical of the whole tubeless tire technology thing. The system that changed my mind, and that I think is still the best, is Bontrager's "TLR" system for 29"ers. It is bombproof in my experience. I did have a couple of hiccups with it at first, but ever since the first go round, I have been totally impressed with this tubeless system. I like others as well, but Bonty's is still the best.

E

Ergon Grips: (Especially the GP-1's) I have been riding with Ergon grips since 2005 and I wouldn't ever go back to traditional round grips. I have tried almost all of Ergon's grip styles, and I like all of them, but the first is still the best. The GP-1's I first started using in 2005 are still going strong in 2010 on one of my favorite bikes. Pain free hands are awesome to have on mtb rides. I thought it would never happen, but thanks to Ergon, it did for me.

O

Oakley Jawbones Eyewear : I have been wearing these for a year now and since the time I got them, I wore nothing else until a recent review assignment that I had to do on another brand. I'll tell you what, nobody nails optics like Oakley does. Nobody. Plus, add in the lens features that repel sweat and moisture, the anti-scratch feature, and the nose and ear materials that Oakley uses, and it is a no-brainer. Expensive? Brutally so. Worth it? Absolutely. They are my eyes for crying out loud. It isn't like I can get more eyes if I don't take care of them.

Ragley Carnegie's Bar: You know, when I get back to riding one of the two rigs I have set up with the Carnegie's Bars on them, I realize all over again how much I like these. The sweep is right in the sweet spot, and my control over the bike in corners just feels right with the Carnegie's.

Don't get me wrong, I still love drop bars, but if I have to ride a non-drop bar bike, these are my favorite bars yet. Now in carbon, which have a nice amount of give too. Sweet!

OS Bikes Blackbuck: If I had only one single speed, this would be it. The OS Bikes Blackbuck isn't a "high end" rig, it isn't made of the latest "unobtanium" frame material, and it isn't some high cache' custom frame builder's rig. It is a frame with some style and functionality to boot.

Not only that, but it is super versatile and can be set up with all sorts of forks and handle bar set ups. (Just ask me!) Good news: OS Bikes should soon have the "Gen II" frames in stock in three different sizes!

Salsa Cycles Fargo: And if I had to whittle it down to only one bike? This would be the winner. The Fargo can do it all, and do most of it as well as any bike can. I can single track it, I can gravel grind it, I can road ride it, and I can commute it. Hey, it's even pretty dang good at all of that as well! Maybe it can't do the "big" stuff off road, and maybe it's overbuilt to road ride, but between those margins, it has you well covered. Bonus: This bike, for whatever reasons, hits me as the most comfortable, best fitting bike I have. So much so that I am afraid to change anything on it! (But I still do, occasionally.)

And there you have it. Six things I can think of straight away if you ask me what are my favorite bicycles/bicycle related products. There are more things that could be added to this list, but not many that I think are almost perfect and would be very hard to improve upon.

Have a great weekend! Ride yer bikes. Have fun!