Singular Gryphon Flies Again

Back in rotation again after a long absence.

I have had this Singular Gryphon for quite a while now. I was thinking about this when I saw the Pirate Cycling League sticker Cornbread gave me which is on the down tube of this bike. That had to be 2010 or so. Anyway, this bike has been a staple in the stable but it hasn't been a bike I've used a whole lot in recent years.

It isn't because I don't like it, because I really do like it a lot. In fact, you could say that this bike was the reason I never got a Fargo with an Alternator drop out. The Singular has a Phil Wood eccentric bottom bracket which I can use for tensioning a chain, and I've never run this bike with gears. However; if I did, it has that "fail safe" that earlier Fargos did not have. But that isn't why I like it, really.

See, the Gryphon was developed around about the same time as the Fargo- in 2008-'09. The bike wasn't meant to carry a load, or be suspension corrected, so the Gryphon is very unique in that the bike is a drop bar specific rig with lighter weight, more compliant tubing which yields a better ride quality than my Fargos do.

Okay, so that's why I like it, but I never really got around to using it as the single speed, Winter time gravel machine I envisioned it to become after my Karate Monkey was pulled off that duty in about '08 or so. I had busted it out and had done a few rides on it here and there recently, but now I hope to get this the love it deserves.

Singular Gryphon Flies Again

Back in rotation again after a long absence.

I have had this Singular Gryphon for quite a while now. I was thinking about this when I saw the Pirate Cycling League sticker Cornbread gave me which is on the down tube of this bike. That had to be 2010 or so. Anyway, this bike has been a staple in the stable but it hasn't been a bike I've used a whole lot in recent years.

It isn't because I don't like it, because I really do like it a lot. In fact, you could say that this bike was the reason I never got a Fargo with an Alternator drop out. The Singular has a Phil Wood eccentric bottom bracket which I can use for tensioning a chain, and I've never run this bike with gears. However; if I did, it has that "fail safe" that earlier Fargos did not have. But that isn't why I like it, really.

See, the Gryphon was developed around about the same time as the Fargo- in 2008-'09. The bike wasn't meant to carry a load, or be suspension corrected, so the Gryphon is very unique in that the bike is a drop bar specific rig with lighter weight, more compliant tubing which yields a better ride quality than my Fargos do.

Okay, so that's why I like it, but I never really got around to using it as the single speed, Winter time gravel machine I envisioned it to become after my Karate Monkey was pulled off that duty in about '08 or so. I had busted it out and had done a few rides on it here and there recently, but now I hope to get this the love it deserves.

On A Few Things....

I have a few things to comment on today that are not really full post, feature length rants, so I am giving you three short ones today......

29"er Weight-Weenies: When I was up at Frostbike interviewing Jeff Frane of All City, I made a comment about how 29"er freaks were too weight conscious. That the way some of the aficionados of 29 inch wheels talked, the road wheels some roadies lust after would be considered "too heavy" for use on their mountain bikes. I said that this apparent neglect of reality was "stupid" on the part of these 29"er folks.

This woke up Hurl Everstone's ears, and he was obviously quite surprised to hear someone like me say this. He even asked if he could quote me on it, as if someday he'd need to call me on that. Well, I said "go ahead", because it really is pretty stupid when you face facts.

Check out this link to a set of lust-worthy Zipp 404's. Yeah, all carbon-fibery-slickery-fast, and you would think- pretty light, right? Well, try 1658 grams on for size. Oh.....and we haven't added quick releases to that weight. Want a Power Tap? Make that 1893gms then. Okay, let's say that any company you want to name came out with a XC racing wheel set for 29"ers that weighed 1660 grams. What do you think they would say about those? And keep in mind, the cost of a grand plus some change for the set. Well, I'll tell you that the "masses of 29"er freaks would be crying foul till the cows came home.

Something is just wonky about that.

And I haven't even gotten into rider weight limits, how the wheels may not be "every day trail wheels", and tubelessness. And it isn't just wheels either. This goes for tires, forks, and frames as well. Sometimes I think the term "reality check" should be part of the lexicon of 29"er riders out there. Just sayin'.......

What It Is, And What It Ain't: It seems that a couple of the editors at Bike Radar are trying to convince the unsuspecting public that 29" wheeled drop bar mountain bikes are really "monster-cross" bikes.They got their wires all crossed up over there!

<===This? Monster-cross......

By their definition, anything with wide, high volume tires and drop bars is a "monster-cross" bike. Well, if you read the article and the ensuing commentary, you'd think that all monster-cross bikes had 29"er wheels. Well, they don't, and I'm not sure that what they are talking about over there isn't really just a "mountain bike" with drop bars. That's what it would have been called 25 years ago, just a drop barred mountain bike, ya know?

<===This one? Drop Barred Mountain Bike.....see the difference? 

We went over this a couple years ago now on Twenty Nine Inches in a piece I wrote about monster-cross bikes where a fellow that is pretty steeped in drop bar mountain bike history, and an industry veteran, made this very wise statement:

“When I think monstercross, I think of a bike with clearance for 700×45C tires, drop bars, and cyclocross geometry. Change one of the first two items and it becomes something else. Change the tires to 2.1 and it’s just a mountain bike with drop bars. Change the bars to flat and it’s a hybrid"

That makes a whole lot of sense to my mind, and keeps the "monster-cross" tag in a place where it makes the most sense. That being the middle ground between true, straight-up cyclo-cross rigs, and 29"ers. Or, as Wes Williams would say, "28"ers". Not this non-sense Bike Radar is trying to fill our minds with, that's for sure.  Let's quit trying to "re-invent" the wheel, as it were, okay guys? 

The Snow Dog Update:  I know some of you out there are wondering why I haven't been posting about rides on my Salsa Cycles Mukluk. Well, as some of you might remember, I had a Phil Wood rear hub on that bike that failed....twice, in less than a month. It was serviced by Phil Wood the first time it went back, and 12 days ago I sent it back in again.

Well, needless to say, I am extremely disappointed in that fact, and as of this point, I have no idea when or how this situation will be resolved. There are some things I would like to describe about this story for you all, but to be fair, I am going to wait this out until it gets resolved and then the whole story can be told.

So, for now, the whole bike is basically useless until I can move off this impasse I am sitting in the middle of at the moment. More when I have something I can share......

On A Few Things....

I have a few things to comment on today that are not really full post, feature length rants, so I am giving you three short ones today......

29"er Weight-Weenies: When I was up at Frostbike interviewing Jeff Frane of All City, I made a comment about how 29"er freaks were too weight conscious. That the way some of the aficionados of 29 inch wheels talked, the road wheels some roadies lust after would be considered "too heavy" for use on their mountain bikes. I said that this apparent neglect of reality was "stupid" on the part of these 29"er folks.

This woke up Hurl Everstone's ears, and he was obviously quite surprised to hear someone like me say this. He even asked if he could quote me on it, as if someday he'd need to call me on that. Well, I said "go ahead", because it really is pretty stupid when you face facts.

Check out this link to a set of lust-worthy Zipp 404's. Yeah, all carbon-fibery-slickery-fast, and you would think- pretty light, right? Well, try 1658 grams on for size. Oh.....and we haven't added quick releases to that weight. Want a Power Tap? Make that 1893gms then. Okay, let's say that any company you want to name came out with a XC racing wheel set for 29"ers that weighed 1660 grams. What do you think they would say about those? And keep in mind, the cost of a grand plus some change for the set. Well, I'll tell you that the "masses of 29"er freaks would be crying foul till the cows came home.

Something is just wonky about that.

And I haven't even gotten into rider weight limits, how the wheels may not be "every day trail wheels", and tubelessness. And it isn't just wheels either. This goes for tires, forks, and frames as well. Sometimes I think the term "reality check" should be part of the lexicon of 29"er riders out there. Just sayin'.......

What It Is, And What It Ain't: It seems that a couple of the editors at Bike Radar are trying to convince the unsuspecting public that 29" wheeled drop bar mountain bikes are really "monster-cross" bikes.They got their wires all crossed up over there!

<===This? Monster-cross......

By their definition, anything with wide, high volume tires and drop bars is a "monster-cross" bike. Well, if you read the article and the ensuing commentary, you'd think that all monster-cross bikes had 29"er wheels. Well, they don't, and I'm not sure that what they are talking about over there isn't really just a "mountain bike" with drop bars. That's what it would have been called 25 years ago, just a drop barred mountain bike, ya know?

<===This one? Drop Barred Mountain Bike.....see the difference? 

We went over this a couple years ago now on Twenty Nine Inches in a piece I wrote about monster-cross bikes where a fellow that is pretty steeped in drop bar mountain bike history, and an industry veteran, made this very wise statement:

“When I think monstercross, I think of a bike with clearance for 700×45C tires, drop bars, and cyclocross geometry. Change one of the first two items and it becomes something else. Change the tires to 2.1 and it’s just a mountain bike with drop bars. Change the bars to flat and it’s a hybrid"

That makes a whole lot of sense to my mind, and keeps the "monster-cross" tag in a place where it makes the most sense. That being the middle ground between true, straight-up cyclo-cross rigs, and 29"ers. Or, as Wes Williams would say, "28"ers". Not this non-sense Bike Radar is trying to fill our minds with, that's for sure.  Let's quit trying to "re-invent" the wheel, as it were, okay guys? 

The Snow Dog Update:  I know some of you out there are wondering why I haven't been posting about rides on my Salsa Cycles Mukluk. Well, as some of you might remember, I had a Phil Wood rear hub on that bike that failed....twice, in less than a month. It was serviced by Phil Wood the first time it went back, and 12 days ago I sent it back in again.

Well, needless to say, I am extremely disappointed in that fact, and as of this point, I have no idea when or how this situation will be resolved. There are some things I would like to describe about this story for you all, but to be fair, I am going to wait this out until it gets resolved and then the whole story can be told.

So, for now, the whole bike is basically useless until I can move off this impasse I am sitting in the middle of at the moment. More when I have something I can share......

The Ballad Of The Snow Dog And The Hub

I have a Salsa Cycles Mukluk fat bike I dubbed the "Snow Dog". It's a pretty special bike to me for several reasons.

I've always wanted a fat bike, for one thing. Ever since I saw Dave Gray's Surly Pugsley prototype sitting in front of Quality Bicycle Products warehouse. They have always been something I thought would be fun to ride, but the cash outlay to get yer mitts on one was too high, or so I thought.

Then late last year Salsa announced the Mukluk. I jumped on the ordering list for one. The asking price was too attractive, and I knew that Salsa would have the bike dialed. They did get it dialed, but unfortunately, a certain part of my Snow Dog isn't quite so dialed.

I sprung for an "upgrade" to my Mukluk that I had on order. I thought owning a set of Phil Wood hubs would be a no-brainer on this bike. I mean, they have the quality and reputation that most companies would kill for. That doesn't come just because they make high-dollar, good looking parts either. They certainly earned their keep over the years with a lot of folks.

Unfortunately, something went very wrong with my rear wheel, and I had to send it back to Phil Wood after three rides. Three rides after which the free hub was skipping so badly you couldn't ride it safely anymore. The wheel went to California and a gracious Ben Witt loaned me his brand new, unridden wheel with a blue anodized Phil Wood hub in the meantime. What a great friend! I was able to put in several rides on the Snow Dog while I waited for my own wheel to return.

When the wheel did come back, I swapped out wheels and components, and went for a ride the next day. Much to my disappointment, the hub exhibited the same popping and snapping noises that it did from the get go. Five miles to work, and it popped about 10-12 times. On the return trip, I counted. It popped and snapped 24 times in five miles, and slipped once.

It was no good. 

I contacted Phil Wood again, and they sent out a call tag, (last time shipping was on me), and today the wheel goes back to California. It really bothers me because it's Phil-freaking-Wood, and this isn't supposed to happen to their stuff. Everyone tells me they have never heard of anything like this about that company. (Well, now they have, and so have you.)

Secondly, I was super-stoked to finally get a fat bike, and now that I have one, it isn't rideable. Pretty ironic, that. Added to this is the fact that several friends, met and un-met, had collaborated to bring me the frame and fork for my birthday, and now their efforts are sitting in a corner gathering dust. That bothers me a great deal.

Finally, and not least importantly, I do not trust that hub. Ben Witt's Phil hub was flawless for me, but the one I own is cursed. I am afraid Phil Wood is simply going to try to fix it......again, and I don't want to even try it.......again. I haven't decided what I will do, if they decide to simply fix it and send it back. I have an idea or two, but I am pretty convinced I know that hub will never be right again. One thing is for sure- By the time Phil Wood and Company does anything and gets it back to me, it will be well into March, and fat bike prime time will be gone until winter 2011. I've got time to weigh my options.

It was good while it lasted, Snow Dog, but I am afraid you'll be hanging from a hook for quite awhile now. See ya next winter.

The Ballad Of The Snow Dog And The Hub

I have a Salsa Cycles Mukluk fat bike I dubbed the "Snow Dog". It's a pretty special bike to me for several reasons.

I've always wanted a fat bike, for one thing. Ever since I saw Dave Gray's Surly Pugsley prototype sitting in front of Quality Bicycle Products warehouse. They have always been something I thought would be fun to ride, but the cash outlay to get yer mitts on one was too high, or so I thought.

Then late last year Salsa announced the Mukluk. I jumped on the ordering list for one. The asking price was too attractive, and I knew that Salsa would have the bike dialed. They did get it dialed, but unfortunately, a certain part of my Snow Dog isn't quite so dialed.

I sprung for an "upgrade" to my Mukluk that I had on order. I thought owning a set of Phil Wood hubs would be a no-brainer on this bike. I mean, they have the quality and reputation that most companies would kill for. That doesn't come just because they make high-dollar, good looking parts either. They certainly earned their keep over the years with a lot of folks.

Unfortunately, something went very wrong with my rear wheel, and I had to send it back to Phil Wood after three rides. Three rides after which the free hub was skipping so badly you couldn't ride it safely anymore. The wheel went to California and a gracious Ben Witt loaned me his brand new, unridden wheel with a blue anodized Phil Wood hub in the meantime. What a great friend! I was able to put in several rides on the Snow Dog while I waited for my own wheel to return.

When the wheel did come back, I swapped out wheels and components, and went for a ride the next day. Much to my disappointment, the hub exhibited the same popping and snapping noises that it did from the get go. Five miles to work, and it popped about 10-12 times. On the return trip, I counted. It popped and snapped 24 times in five miles, and slipped once.

It was no good. 

I contacted Phil Wood again, and they sent out a call tag, (last time shipping was on me), and today the wheel goes back to California. It really bothers me because it's Phil-freaking-Wood, and this isn't supposed to happen to their stuff. Everyone tells me they have never heard of anything like this about that company. (Well, now they have, and so have you.)

Secondly, I was super-stoked to finally get a fat bike, and now that I have one, it isn't rideable. Pretty ironic, that. Added to this is the fact that several friends, met and un-met, had collaborated to bring me the frame and fork for my birthday, and now their efforts are sitting in a corner gathering dust. That bothers me a great deal.

Finally, and not least importantly, I do not trust that hub. Ben Witt's Phil hub was flawless for me, but the one I own is cursed. I am afraid Phil Wood is simply going to try to fix it......again, and I don't want to even try it.......again. I haven't decided what I will do, if they decide to simply fix it and send it back. I have an idea or two, but I am pretty convinced I know that hub will never be right again. One thing is for sure- By the time Phil Wood and Company does anything and gets it back to me, it will be well into March, and fat bike prime time will be gone until winter 2011. I've got time to weigh my options.

It was good while it lasted, Snow Dog, but I am afraid you'll be hanging from a hook for quite awhile now. See ya next winter.

The Snow Dog Update

<===Rolling along with a wheel on loan from Ben.

A while ago, I wrote about how my own Phil Wood hub  blew up on me and how Ben Witt of Milltown Cycles bailed me out with the loaner Phil hubbed wheel shown here.

How's it been going? Well, so far so good. The first thing I did was to remove the end cap on the axle and slide the free hub off to expose the pawls. I de-greased these and replaced the Phil grease with some red Tri-Flow grease, which is somewhat thinner in consistency. As I said, so far, so good.

Yesterday's slog was a good test. It was just above zero, and I ran into a couple of places where the torque was high, and no issues at all. Even the hint of failure was not present. In fact, it is feeling perfectly normal.

Now it is just a wait to see what Phil Wood & Co. does with my wheel. I haven't heard a peep yet, and they were to have had the wheel in hand by Tuesday. Hopefully it will hit the door here before Frostbike, because that's when I am scheduled to return the wheel I have to Ben. Hopefully his Pofahl fat bike will be readied by then, and he can start rolling on his slightly used, broken in rear wheel.

Notes From A Fat Bike Noob: So, what's the deal with these rigs? Well, first off, they are not a magic bullet for deep snow travel. Not even close. These bikes do have some amount of "float", but they have to have a compacted surface, or terrain that holds together, to traverse over without a lot of wallowing, or front wheel wash-out. Post-holed pedestrian paths through the snow, which are nigh unto impossible on any other bike, are sneered at by The Snow Dog. Not only that, but the suspension in those tires actually helps keep you from getting bounced off-line or sideways, which is what usually happens with a 29"er.

Other types of surfaces I have found working well for The Snow Dog are snowmobile trails, half-heartedly scraped sidewalks and bike trails, and "car-snow", which is easily dispatched by The Snow Dog's massive "Larry" 3.8"ers. My favorite thing to do so far is to ride in alleyways, since they usually have more fun "features" to launch off of and plow over.

<==Check out how Ben's furry rim strip sticks out of the Rolling Darryl's "windows". 
 
The "Larrys" sound like 44" Swampers on a '77 Chevy 4X4 when you run fast over pavement, which just adds to the "monster truck" feeling you get when floating down the road. Making child-like "V-8" sounds is purely optional, but adds a lot to the ambiance and experience. I recommend it!

Oh yeah- and you will get worked over riding one of these. That weight takes energy to get it moving, and then when you get into the fun terrain and situations, it only adds more rolling resistance, which burns even more cals. I suspect it will be the best early season training I've had in years, just poking around on this thing for even short rides.

The plan is to do some more poking around this weekend, and it should be good, since the temps are forecast to be pretty reasonable for this time of year.

Have a great weekend, ya'all!

The Snow Dog Update

<===Rolling along with a wheel on loan from Ben.

A while ago, I wrote about how my own Phil Wood hub  blew up on me and how Ben Witt of Milltown Cycles bailed me out with the loaner Phil hubbed wheel shown here.

How's it been going? Well, so far so good. The first thing I did was to remove the end cap on the axle and slide the free hub off to expose the pawls. I de-greased these and replaced the Phil grease with some red Tri-Flow grease, which is somewhat thinner in consistency. As I said, so far, so good.

Yesterday's slog was a good test. It was just above zero, and I ran into a couple of places where the torque was high, and no issues at all. Even the hint of failure was not present. In fact, it is feeling perfectly normal.

Now it is just a wait to see what Phil Wood & Co. does with my wheel. I haven't heard a peep yet, and they were to have had the wheel in hand by Tuesday. Hopefully it will hit the door here before Frostbike, because that's when I am scheduled to return the wheel I have to Ben. Hopefully his Pofahl fat bike will be readied by then, and he can start rolling on his slightly used, broken in rear wheel.

Notes From A Fat Bike Noob: So, what's the deal with these rigs? Well, first off, they are not a magic bullet for deep snow travel. Not even close. These bikes do have some amount of "float", but they have to have a compacted surface, or terrain that holds together, to traverse over without a lot of wallowing, or front wheel wash-out. Post-holed pedestrian paths through the snow, which are nigh unto impossible on any other bike, are sneered at by The Snow Dog. Not only that, but the suspension in those tires actually helps keep you from getting bounced off-line or sideways, which is what usually happens with a 29"er.

Other types of surfaces I have found working well for The Snow Dog are snowmobile trails, half-heartedly scraped sidewalks and bike trails, and "car-snow", which is easily dispatched by The Snow Dog's massive "Larry" 3.8"ers. My favorite thing to do so far is to ride in alleyways, since they usually have more fun "features" to launch off of and plow over.

<==Check out how Ben's furry rim strip sticks out of the Rolling Darryl's "windows". 
 
The "Larrys" sound like 44" Swampers on a '77 Chevy 4X4 when you run fast over pavement, which just adds to the "monster truck" feeling you get when floating down the road. Making child-like "V-8" sounds is purely optional, but adds a lot to the ambiance and experience. I recommend it!

Oh yeah- and you will get worked over riding one of these. That weight takes energy to get it moving, and then when you get into the fun terrain and situations, it only adds more rolling resistance, which burns even more cals. I suspect it will be the best early season training I've had in years, just poking around on this thing for even short rides.

The plan is to do some more poking around this weekend, and it should be good, since the temps are forecast to be pretty reasonable for this time of year.

Have a great weekend, ya'all!

Luxy Bar, Bike Update, And More

Another Day, Another Drop Bar! The Ragley Bikes "Luxy Bar", which started out almost a couple years ago now with some inspiration provided by me, (Really!...and others as well), is now here in my hot little hands.

The Luxy Bar is the creation of Brant Richards, who once wrought component mayhem over at On One. Yes, the very same fellow who penned the designs for the Mary, Midge, and the oft forgotten Mungo Bars. Now he's doing his own thing called Shed Fire Designs and by using his brand, Ragley Bikes, he is marketing this off road drop bar. So, what do we have here?

Well, imagine the love child of a Woodchipper and a Midge Bar, and you would have what this Luxy Bar is. Like the Midge, the Luxy has a shallow drop, and a middle of the road slope, or flare to the drops as seen from head on. Like the Woodchipper, the drop extensions have a fair amount of sweep, and are quite long. One more thing: like the Woodchipper, this bar is wide!!

If the length of the extensions turns you off, might I introduce you to a hacksaw? Easy-peasey. Shorter extensions await you if you desire. One other oddity here that bears mentioning is that the Luxy Bar is 31.8mm from where the stem clamps on all the way across to each drop, where it then tapers down to accept the brake/shift levers. Oh yeah....bar end compatible as well. Check!

I'll be seeking out one more off road drop, but in the mean time, I will start measuring and comparing for a new series of posts which will likely be over on The Cyclistsite.com. Look for the Luxy Bar, Origin 8 Gary Bar II, the original Midge Bar, the Woodchipper, and the aforementioned, as yet to be named bar, (if I can get it), to be included in this comparo.

Update On The Black Mountain Cycles Cross Rig: I received word that the frame and fork I have coming from Black Mountain Cycles is possibly going to ship sometime next week. Seems that customs thought it necessary to "inspect the shipment more closely", so I will have to wait for a bit to receive it here.

No worries though, as I will have to get a few odds and ends scraped together before I can properly build the rig.

Since I first posted about the Black Mountain Cycles frames, (go here to see the road and cross frames), I've heard from several of you that also were considering one of these steel beauties. Actually, I hear a couple of you also have a frame and fork coming as well. That's pretty cool. I can't wait to see how those get built up, and maybe someday we can all get together for a Black Mountain Cycles only ride. That'd be fun.

By the way, is it just me, or are orange bikes really popular?

So that 26"er vs 29"er shootout, that'll never get done now, eh? A long time ago, James Huang was undertaking a 26"er vs 29"er comparative test and boy howdy! Did the readers ever go nuts on that one. Such that Mr. Huang actually modified the test to better compare and contrast the bikes. However; it never was finished, and the findings were never published, to my knowledge. (If I am wrong, perhaps someone can put up a link in the comments). Well, anyway, Mr. Huang has now published a piece on tires, which I happen to agree with, and some of what is written has something to do with 29"ers. There are a few finer details, however, that are not quite right, or are misleading, that I want to point out here.

First off, Mr. Huang is writing about an independent lab that has all sorts of whiz-bang instruments that are run by some "smart folks". This is impressive, and no doubt, convincing for many readers. However; these folks are not the first to do studies in a scientific manner on these things, so a lot of what is given as "new" here is really "old", if you care to dig into it. But that's beside the point....

I want to talk about the 29"er stuff here. First off, the lab finds that 29"er tires/wheels are "faster". Hmm.....okay, that's a touchy one, but along with this, it is stated that "29" tyres don't have a bigger footprint than otherwise identical 26" ones. While the total area is the same, the shape of the patch is longer and narrower on 29ers, though."  Well, that has been something that, if you had been paying attention in about 2003-2004 on mtbr.com, was proven by several "independent riders" that conducted their own tire contact patch studies. It was concluded way back then that tire contact patch shape was the defining factor in 29"er tire performance, not the size, which was agreed upon then as being the same as 26"ers. I have written several times since then on that subject based upon those, admittedly low-brow, not-done-in-a-lab findings.

Secondly, it is touted in the piece that Mr. Huang wrote that 29"er wheels have a"lower angle of attack", something the Gary Fisher Bike company has touted for years based upon a scientific paper written at a university. Which, again, isn't an independent lab, but, ya know........

Finally, the "wider tires roll better than skinny" idea, which leads off the piece has been validated by at least two tire companies and one periodical long before this. But again.......not an independent laboratory, so....

I guess it's all in who you want to believe in. Ya know, independent labs, or not. Just like doping controls. Those "independent labs" always get things right......... right?

 

Luxy Bar, Bike Update, And More

Another Day, Another Drop Bar! The Ragley Bikes "Luxy Bar", which started out almost a couple years ago now with some inspiration provided by me, (Really!...and others as well), is now here in my hot little hands.

The Luxy Bar is the creation of Brant Richards, who once wrought component mayhem over at On One. Yes, the very same fellow who penned the designs for the Mary, Midge, and the oft forgotten Mungo Bars. Now he's doing his own thing called Shed Fire Designs and by using his brand, Ragley Bikes, he is marketing this off road drop bar. So, what do we have here?

Well, imagine the love child of a Woodchipper and a Midge Bar, and you would have what this Luxy Bar is. Like the Midge, the Luxy has a shallow drop, and a middle of the road slope, or flare to the drops as seen from head on. Like the Woodchipper, the drop extensions have a fair amount of sweep, and are quite long. One more thing: like the Woodchipper, this bar is wide!!

If the length of the extensions turns you off, might I introduce you to a hacksaw? Easy-peasey. Shorter extensions await you if you desire. One other oddity here that bears mentioning is that the Luxy Bar is 31.8mm from where the stem clamps on all the way across to each drop, where it then tapers down to accept the brake/shift levers. Oh yeah....bar end compatible as well. Check!

I'll be seeking out one more off road drop, but in the mean time, I will start measuring and comparing for a new series of posts which will likely be over on The Cyclistsite.com. Look for the Luxy Bar, Origin 8 Gary Bar II, the original Midge Bar, the Woodchipper, and the aforementioned, as yet to be named bar, (if I can get it), to be included in this comparo.

Update On The Black Mountain Cycles Cross Rig: I received word that the frame and fork I have coming from Black Mountain Cycles is possibly going to ship sometime next week. Seems that customs thought it necessary to "inspect the shipment more closely", so I will have to wait for a bit to receive it here.

No worries though, as I will have to get a few odds and ends scraped together before I can properly build the rig.

Since I first posted about the Black Mountain Cycles frames, (go here to see the road and cross frames), I've heard from several of you that also were considering one of these steel beauties. Actually, I hear a couple of you also have a frame and fork coming as well. That's pretty cool. I can't wait to see how those get built up, and maybe someday we can all get together for a Black Mountain Cycles only ride. That'd be fun.

By the way, is it just me, or are orange bikes really popular?

So that 26"er vs 29"er shootout, that'll never get done now, eh? A long time ago, James Huang was undertaking a 26"er vs 29"er comparative test and boy howdy! Did the readers ever go nuts on that one. Such that Mr. Huang actually modified the test to better compare and contrast the bikes. However; it never was finished, and the findings were never published, to my knowledge. (If I am wrong, perhaps someone can put up a link in the comments). Well, anyway, Mr. Huang has now published a piece on tires, which I happen to agree with, and some of what is written has something to do with 29"ers. There are a few finer details, however, that are not quite right, or are misleading, that I want to point out here.

First off, Mr. Huang is writing about an independent lab that has all sorts of whiz-bang instruments that are run by some "smart folks". This is impressive, and no doubt, convincing for many readers. However; these folks are not the first to do studies in a scientific manner on these things, so a lot of what is given as "new" here is really "old", if you care to dig into it. But that's beside the point....

I want to talk about the 29"er stuff here. First off, the lab finds that 29"er tires/wheels are "faster". Hmm.....okay, that's a touchy one, but along with this, it is stated that "29" tyres don't have a bigger footprint than otherwise identical 26" ones. While the total area is the same, the shape of the patch is longer and narrower on 29ers, though."  Well, that has been something that, if you had been paying attention in about 2003-2004 on mtbr.com, was proven by several "independent riders" that conducted their own tire contact patch studies. It was concluded way back then that tire contact patch shape was the defining factor in 29"er tire performance, not the size, which was agreed upon then as being the same as 26"ers. I have written several times since then on that subject based upon those, admittedly low-brow, not-done-in-a-lab findings.

Secondly, it is touted in the piece that Mr. Huang wrote that 29"er wheels have a"lower angle of attack", something the Gary Fisher Bike company has touted for years based upon a scientific paper written at a university. Which, again, isn't an independent lab, but, ya know........

Finally, the "wider tires roll better than skinny" idea, which leads off the piece has been validated by at least two tire companies and one periodical long before this. But again.......not an independent laboratory, so....

I guess it's all in who you want to believe in. Ya know, independent labs, or not. Just like doping controls. Those "independent labs" always get things right......... right?

 

Digging It

Get a good look at this image. Wonderfully white winter wackiness. Okay, so that's what it looks like now. My weekend was dominated by dealing with this stuff.

It all started on Thursday night when it started to snow again. (I'd also ridden on Tuesday last week in the snow). Friday I woke up and saw about 5-6 inches already on the ground with flakes still falling. Time to arm myself with a shovel and hit the street.

Yes- I said, "hit the street." I have to clear out the snow from around our cars out front. We do not have a snow emergency plan here. My alleyway never gets plowed out, so fah-gedda-boud parking in the garage. It's the street for us, and we need to shovel out about 10 yards from the curb.

Of course, our neighbors do not do a thing. Now- this is an optional thing I do, but in order to preserve a spot for our vehicles, I shovel the street in front of each neighbors house on either side of me. Yeah......lots of shoveling.

That ended up becoming 4 hours of shoveling which was very physically demanding work. But hey! I can park my car now, and I burned up a lot of calories.

Now, it would be nice to have my "Other Bike Project" here to ride now, (Salsa Mukluk), but it isn't here, and now I'm hearing that by the end of the week, it is supposed to get real messy and weird out there. Yeah.......and if it does, I bet the Mukluk shows up. Oh well! I knew it would go this way. Primo snow conditions and the Mukluk just were not meant to happen at the same time for me.

But that doesn't mean that I have not been messing around with what I do have. I mounted up a Larry tire on a Rolling Darryl with some red ribbon just for the fun of it.

Nice table center piece, eh? I was going to get more creative with the rim strip, but the red matches our Cinnamon scented candle better and well, truth be known, I got the ribbon for free! Works great too.

Mukluk's are blue, so the red accent deal should work okay and I have plenty of ribbon, so it looks as though this will work for now. I may even look at adding a few more red bits here and there.

And that fat Phil Wood hub? I have spun the free hub so many times I think it is well worn in by now!

Ah well. If and when I see the Mukluk I will be riding it come snow, wind, or rain, so what if this week end's weather wipes out our great snow cover? Right? I just hope it all doesn't turn into one gigantic sheet of ice and stays that way till March, that's all.

Digging It

Get a good look at this image. Wonderfully white winter wackiness. Okay, so that's what it looks like now. My weekend was dominated by dealing with this stuff.

It all started on Thursday night when it started to snow again. (I'd also ridden on Tuesday last week in the snow). Friday I woke up and saw about 5-6 inches already on the ground with flakes still falling. Time to arm myself with a shovel and hit the street.

Yes- I said, "hit the street." I have to clear out the snow from around our cars out front. We do not have a snow emergency plan here. My alleyway never gets plowed out, so fah-gedda-boud parking in the garage. It's the street for us, and we need to shovel out about 10 yards from the curb.

Of course, our neighbors do not do a thing. Now- this is an optional thing I do, but in order to preserve a spot for our vehicles, I shovel the street in front of each neighbors house on either side of me. Yeah......lots of shoveling.

That ended up becoming 4 hours of shoveling which was very physically demanding work. But hey! I can park my car now, and I burned up a lot of calories.

Now, it would be nice to have my "Other Bike Project" here to ride now, (Salsa Mukluk), but it isn't here, and now I'm hearing that by the end of the week, it is supposed to get real messy and weird out there. Yeah.......and if it does, I bet the Mukluk shows up. Oh well! I knew it would go this way. Primo snow conditions and the Mukluk just were not meant to happen at the same time for me.

But that doesn't mean that I have not been messing around with what I do have. I mounted up a Larry tire on a Rolling Darryl with some red ribbon just for the fun of it.

Nice table center piece, eh? I was going to get more creative with the rim strip, but the red matches our Cinnamon scented candle better and well, truth be known, I got the ribbon for free! Works great too.

Mukluk's are blue, so the red accent deal should work okay and I have plenty of ribbon, so it looks as though this will work for now. I may even look at adding a few more red bits here and there.

And that fat Phil Wood hub? I have spun the free hub so many times I think it is well worn in by now!

Ah well. If and when I see the Mukluk I will be riding it come snow, wind, or rain, so what if this week end's weather wipes out our great snow cover? Right? I just hope it all doesn't turn into one gigantic sheet of ice and stays that way till March, that's all.

The "Other Bike" Project

While I have been focused on the gravel grinder bike concept for some time now, I am going to leave that alone for a bit and today I want to talk about my "other bike" project which should start coming together here very soon.

<==(Image courtesy of Ben Witt) This project starts out around this gorgeous Phil Wood custom 170mm O.L.D. hub. Ben Witt turned me on to these. The 170mm dimension is a tip off to what kind of bike this hub works with, and if you've been paying attention, you know that bike is a Salsa Cycles Mukluk. It is really hard to get a feeling for the proportions of this hub without holding it in your hand. It is just plain silly. Typical Phil Wood machine work makes this hub even more fun to look at. Of course, the bearings and all are top notch inside.

Of course, one needs a matching Phil Wood hub for the front, and here is an image, (courtesy of Ben Witt again),  of a matched pair. These are the actual hubs Ben is going to use on his personal build Mukluk. The Mukluk takes a 135mm rear specific hub for the front end. Note that the Phil Wood custom hub, which is like a rear hub from the width and disc mounting standpoint, looks like any other front hub otherwise. Pretty trick. I believe the one I am getting actually has a thread on interface for a single speed cog though, which is cool from the stand point of versatility. Again, these are custom hubs and if you need more info, just hit up Milltown Cycles for more. That's where I am getting these hubs from.

<===(Image from Ben Witt....again!) Of course, you have to have something to lace the hubs to. The original plan was to go with the Vicious Cycles Graceful Fat Sheba rims. (A fair jaw-cracker of a product name there, eh?) Well, Ben calls me up the other day and says, "I can not let you use those rims!" Why? Because the "unobtanium" Surly Rolling Darryls suddenly were "obtanium".

Look at that weight. That's about what a highly Swiss cheesed GFS rim would weigh in at and far less than a stock GFS. Plus, it is a hair wider, and more importantly, a better rim. The spokes will be equally as nice, and the whole wheel set will really be quite an upgrade over the stock Salsa/GFS wheels.

Of course, this will all go on the otherwise stock Mukluk complete at some point. I'm hoping to pick up the rims and at least one of  the hubs this weekend with wheel building to commence shortly afterward. Stay tuned for the "Other Bike" project's wheels to be shown here soon.

The "Other Bike" Project

While I have been focused on the gravel grinder bike concept for some time now, I am going to leave that alone for a bit and today I want to talk about my "other bike" project which should start coming together here very soon.

<==(Image courtesy of Ben Witt) This project starts out around this gorgeous Phil Wood custom 170mm O.L.D. hub. Ben Witt turned me on to these. The 170mm dimension is a tip off to what kind of bike this hub works with, and if you've been paying attention, you know that bike is a Salsa Cycles Mukluk. It is really hard to get a feeling for the proportions of this hub without holding it in your hand. It is just plain silly. Typical Phil Wood machine work makes this hub even more fun to look at. Of course, the bearings and all are top notch inside.

Of course, one needs a matching Phil Wood hub for the front, and here is an image, (courtesy of Ben Witt again),  of a matched pair. These are the actual hubs Ben is going to use on his personal build Mukluk. The Mukluk takes a 135mm rear specific hub for the front end. Note that the Phil Wood custom hub, which is like a rear hub from the width and disc mounting standpoint, looks like any other front hub otherwise. Pretty trick. I believe the one I am getting actually has a thread on interface for a single speed cog though, which is cool from the stand point of versatility. Again, these are custom hubs and if you need more info, just hit up Milltown Cycles for more. That's where I am getting these hubs from.

<===(Image from Ben Witt....again!) Of course, you have to have something to lace the hubs to. The original plan was to go with the Vicious Cycles Graceful Fat Sheba rims. (A fair jaw-cracker of a product name there, eh?) Well, Ben calls me up the other day and says, "I can not let you use those rims!" Why? Because the "unobtanium" Surly Rolling Darryls suddenly were "obtanium".

Look at that weight. That's about what a highly Swiss cheesed GFS rim would weigh in at and far less than a stock GFS. Plus, it is a hair wider, and more importantly, a better rim. The spokes will be equally as nice, and the whole wheel set will really be quite an upgrade over the stock Salsa/GFS wheels.

Of course, this will all go on the otherwise stock Mukluk complete at some point. I'm hoping to pick up the rims and at least one of  the hubs this weekend with wheel building to commence shortly afterward. Stay tuned for the "Other Bike" project's wheels to be shown here soon.

It's All Just Nonsense!

Friday was another great day in the woods. I got off work early, and took full advantage by going on all the choicest single track in Geo Wyth on the Blackbuck.

It was totally awesome!

I have come to like the whitewall Origin 8 tires, at least the look. It has that "American Graffiti" Model A hot rod look, I think. (Maybe it's just me, I don't know!) I just know the tight twisties in Geo Wyth are primo right now. Maybe too dry, and well, I hear that may be getting fixed soon! I'm pretty sure it will too, because I'm about to take part in some "nonsense" tomorrow evening that about guarantees it will rain. That would be The Night Nonesense 100 mile gravel road event. Yes- all at night!

It starts at 8pm and well, however long it takes me to ride the entire course is how long the event will probably be! I don't figure on being all that fast. Anyway, there is supposed to be some crazy stuff happening out there, so we'll see if that slows my progress down any. Report to come on all the shenanigans Monday.

Speaking of "shenanigans", I think I may have gotten myself into something over my head here. You see, my friend Ben Witt, who runs Milltown Cycles, well, he tempted me with hubs. Yes- I said hubs.... Well, look at this image and you tell me if you wouldn't be tempted too....

<===Custom Phil Wood hubs for Mukluk snow bikes. (image by Ben Witt)

Yup! Those are pure awesomeness right there. Since I am getting a Mukluk anyway, I figured, what the heck.

That's some chunk-o-alloy there! Ben tells me the hub flanges are so large that spokes will be very short. That means a stronger wheel, hopefully, and of course, they are going to be dishless as well. That's good stuff for a rear wheel, and especially so since I am opting for a Rolling Daryl rim set with these wheels.

And to top it all off, I just looked at a winter forecast that said we'll be getting above average snow fall for the 2010/2011 winter. Snow biking will be awesome, if the parts all come in and the bike makes it on time. And if it doesn't, well......I'll go sledding!

It's All Just Nonsense!

Friday was another great day in the woods. I got off work early, and took full advantage by going on all the choicest single track in Geo Wyth on the Blackbuck.

It was totally awesome!

I have come to like the whitewall Origin 8 tires, at least the look. It has that "American Graffiti" Model A hot rod look, I think. (Maybe it's just me, I don't know!) I just know the tight twisties in Geo Wyth are primo right now. Maybe too dry, and well, I hear that may be getting fixed soon! I'm pretty sure it will too, because I'm about to take part in some "nonsense" tomorrow evening that about guarantees it will rain. That would be The Night Nonesense 100 mile gravel road event. Yes- all at night!

It starts at 8pm and well, however long it takes me to ride the entire course is how long the event will probably be! I don't figure on being all that fast. Anyway, there is supposed to be some crazy stuff happening out there, so we'll see if that slows my progress down any. Report to come on all the shenanigans Monday.

Speaking of "shenanigans", I think I may have gotten myself into something over my head here. You see, my friend Ben Witt, who runs Milltown Cycles, well, he tempted me with hubs. Yes- I said hubs.... Well, look at this image and you tell me if you wouldn't be tempted too....

<===Custom Phil Wood hubs for Mukluk snow bikes. (image by Ben Witt)

Yup! Those are pure awesomeness right there. Since I am getting a Mukluk anyway, I figured, what the heck.

That's some chunk-o-alloy there! Ben tells me the hub flanges are so large that spokes will be very short. That means a stronger wheel, hopefully, and of course, they are going to be dishless as well. That's good stuff for a rear wheel, and especially so since I am opting for a Rolling Daryl rim set with these wheels.

And to top it all off, I just looked at a winter forecast that said we'll be getting above average snow fall for the 2010/2011 winter. Snow biking will be awesome, if the parts all come in and the bike makes it on time. And if it doesn't, well......I'll go sledding!

New 29"er Stuff: Coming Soon!

Well, if you had told me last fall that I would be this busy talking about new 29"er stuff now, I would have said you were nuts! But here we are and we have all sorts of stuff flying out of corners far and wide in regards to new products, rumors, and hints. Take a look at a few things I have rounded up for ya here..........



<===New Phil 135mm front hubs.

From Jeff Jone's "Blog" we have a look at Phil Wood's newest hub, a 135mm front for "wide" fork applications. Note: The Paul "Whub" is in the foreground.

I don't know, but to my eye, it looks like a regular Phil hub with a longer axle. I could be wrong, but I like the design of the Paul hub better. That maybe is just me though....





<===As seen on mtbr.com

Maxxis is having some prototype Aspin 2.1 X 29"er and Ardent 2.4" X 29"er tires tested in the field by test riders across the country. We've seen the Ardent befor and the new one is a wider version. I'm not a big fan of the Ardent, but the Aspin does look interesting.

Unfortunately, Maxxis isn't doing anything with tubeless ready beads, so even though they may work tubeless as is, I think it is a mistake not to engineer some better beads into the tire and just call them tubeless ready.

Looks like a great rear tire to mate up with an Ignitor or CrossMark front. At anyrate- Yay for more choices!





The long awaited W.F.O.9's are about to set sail!

Niner Bikes W.F.O.9, the technology laden long travel 29"er is about to hit the trails after a long delay. What is super cool is that finally a manufacturer has stepped up to back the production of the long hidden away WTB Kodiak 2.5 inch monster tires! Folks around here won't be interested much in these shoes, since they are really made for abusive, gnarly, high speed chunk riders. That and the projected weight is 1400 grams each! Still, they are the answer to a lot of folks prayers that live in technical, rocky mountainous areas.

Word is that the casings on these monsters are 62mm wide and that they are 66mm wide at the knobs. If true, these are now the biggest 29"er tires, taking away that crown from WTB's own WeirWolf LT tires.

Tidbits: I'm hearing Norco has a 29"er in their line up for 2010 that will feature the Gates Carbon Belt Drive System. (Obviously a single speed) and that Banshee Bikes is working on their own 5 inch travel FS rig which should be interesting given that companies gravity driven roots.

Finally, I hope to be getting some new information soon on some other interesting 29 bikes for 2010, so stay tuned here, and of course, on Twenty Nine Inches.

New 29"er Stuff: Coming Soon!

Well, if you had told me last fall that I would be this busy talking about new 29"er stuff now, I would have said you were nuts! But here we are and we have all sorts of stuff flying out of corners far and wide in regards to new products, rumors, and hints. Take a look at a few things I have rounded up for ya here..........



<===New Phil 135mm front hubs.

From Jeff Jone's "Blog" we have a look at Phil Wood's newest hub, a 135mm front for "wide" fork applications. Note: The Paul "Whub" is in the foreground.

I don't know, but to my eye, it looks like a regular Phil hub with a longer axle. I could be wrong, but I like the design of the Paul hub better. That maybe is just me though....





<===As seen on mtbr.com

Maxxis is having some prototype Aspin 2.1 X 29"er and Ardent 2.4" X 29"er tires tested in the field by test riders across the country. We've seen the Ardent befor and the new one is a wider version. I'm not a big fan of the Ardent, but the Aspin does look interesting.

Unfortunately, Maxxis isn't doing anything with tubeless ready beads, so even though they may work tubeless as is, I think it is a mistake not to engineer some better beads into the tire and just call them tubeless ready.

Looks like a great rear tire to mate up with an Ignitor or CrossMark front. At anyrate- Yay for more choices!





The long awaited W.F.O.9's are about to set sail!

Niner Bikes W.F.O.9, the technology laden long travel 29"er is about to hit the trails after a long delay. What is super cool is that finally a manufacturer has stepped up to back the production of the long hidden away WTB Kodiak 2.5 inch monster tires! Folks around here won't be interested much in these shoes, since they are really made for abusive, gnarly, high speed chunk riders. That and the projected weight is 1400 grams each! Still, they are the answer to a lot of folks prayers that live in technical, rocky mountainous areas.

Word is that the casings on these monsters are 62mm wide and that they are 66mm wide at the knobs. If true, these are now the biggest 29"er tires, taking away that crown from WTB's own WeirWolf LT tires.

Tidbits: I'm hearing Norco has a 29"er in their line up for 2010 that will feature the Gates Carbon Belt Drive System. (Obviously a single speed) and that Banshee Bikes is working on their own 5 inch travel FS rig which should be interesting given that companies gravity driven roots.

Finally, I hope to be getting some new information soon on some other interesting 29 bikes for 2010, so stay tuned here, and of course, on Twenty Nine Inches.