Minus Ten Review 2009-9

I had a cyclo cross bike once. Once......

Ten years ago here on the blog this week I was revealing the silly purchase I made of a Raleigh Rainier single speed cyclo cross bike. Cyclo cross bike? Yes. I bought and owned a true-blue cyclo cross rig for a very short period of time.

You see, in 2009 there were no "gravel bikes", no geometry made specifically for riding gravel roads, and certainly nothing in the way of real tires for this pursuit. To wit- I was trying to run some IRC 42's on this bike, which were one of the only "non-hybrid" tires this size you could find. Then I found out 42's weren't a good fit in the back and I had to size down to a 35mm tire. But that wasn't the biggest issue I had with the bike in the end.

The Rainier was a fantastic cyclo cross bike. Steep-ish head tube angle, high bottom bracket, and quick feeling when you stomped on the pedals. But I had absolutely zero intentions of ever doing a cyclo cross race. I admire the niche and those who are into that, well, good on ya. It just isn't anything I ever wanted to try. No appeal at all for me. So, what in the heck was I doing with a single speed cyclo cross bike? 

Well, having put on a few Trans Iowas by this time, I noted that cyclo cross bikes were the rig of choice. I figured I had better check this out. They were lighter than a single speed 29"er, and some said faster too. I had to find out for myself. What I found out was that cyclo cross geometry was not right for gravel travel. Of course, this revelation was met with much resistance when I spoke of it later. I was called crazy and worse by many commenters. Well, as they say, who's laughing now? I could, but I am not that guy. I just knew back ten years ago that this CX thing wasn't the best thing for gravel travel.

So, this bike wasn't around long. I maybe had it a year. Maybe..... Can't remember. But I know I sold it off to a guy by the name of George and maybe he still has it. Dunno.... It was a cool looking rig, anyway, and if you were into CX, well, it probably was a great rig. Again.....Dunno for sure, but I bet it was.

Minus Ten Review 2009-9

I had a cyclo cross bike once. Once......

Ten years ago here on the blog this week I was revealing the silly purchase I made of a Raleigh Rainier single speed cyclo cross bike. Cyclo cross bike? Yes. I bought and owned a true-blue cyclo cross rig for a very short period of time.

You see, in 2009 there were no "gravel bikes", no geometry made specifically for riding gravel roads, and certainly nothing in the way of real tires for this pursuit. To wit- I was trying to run some IRC 42's on this bike, which were one of the only "non-hybrid" tires this size you could find. Then I found out 42's weren't a good fit in the back and I had to size down to a 35mm tire. But that wasn't the biggest issue I had with the bike in the end.

The Rainier was a fantastic cyclo cross bike. Steep-ish head tube angle, high bottom bracket, and quick feeling when you stomped on the pedals. But I had absolutely zero intentions of ever doing a cyclo cross race. I admire the niche and those who are into that, well, good on ya. It just isn't anything I ever wanted to try. No appeal at all for me. So, what in the heck was I doing with a single speed cyclo cross bike? 

Well, having put on a few Trans Iowas by this time, I noted that cyclo cross bikes were the rig of choice. I figured I had better check this out. They were lighter than a single speed 29"er, and some said faster too. I had to find out for myself. What I found out was that cyclo cross geometry was not right for gravel travel. Of course, this revelation was met with much resistance when I spoke of it later. I was called crazy and worse by many commenters. Well, as they say, who's laughing now? I could, but I am not that guy. I just knew back ten years ago that this CX thing wasn't the best thing for gravel travel.

So, this bike wasn't around long. I maybe had it a year. Maybe..... Can't remember. But I know I sold it off to a guy by the name of George and maybe he still has it. Dunno.... It was a cool looking rig, anyway, and if you were into CX, well, it probably was a great rig. Again.....Dunno for sure, but I bet it was.

Single Speed Nation

So I am looking around down in the Guitar Ted Laboratory for something the other day, and I stopped to take stock of how many single speeds I have.

Yeah, yeah.......I get to test a lot of bikes. Like the one I have pictured today, they come and they go. But I am not talking about those bikes. I'm talking about bikes I bought for myself, or ones I salvaged into single speed rigs.

I got to thinking about why that is. Why so many single speed bicycles? Well, maybe this quote from this very blog back in 2006 will help explain it.

"There are about as many reasons people ride single speed bikes as there are people. I'm not going to delve into that subject. I do it because that's what I grew up on. I never really quite got on with gears, although, for road riding, I've got the hang of it. But that's just me! "

So there ya go. I never had a geared bicycle growing up. I just pedaled harder, or walked. I suppose that is why I gravitate towards the single speed rigs. I never was in too much of a hurry, (just ask my Mom!), and doing any sort of maintenance was kind of an unknown for me back then. I mean, you had to air up the tires once a year. Then what? Well.......I did skid through my fair share of slicks!

I certainly don't do it to be cool. The single speeding cool factor has long been gone. And I was a single speeder before it was cool anyway. I don't do it to be fashionable, because well......most of my single speeds look trashy! (The Raleigh Rainier being a notable exception) I do have a fixed gear road bike, but you wouldn't ever mistake me for a "hipster". For one thing, I don't have the wardrobe, and for another, my fixie is an early 70's Raleigh Gran Prix rat-ride. Nothing at all fashionable about it. Heck, the most I spent on it was for the Miche track cog and lock ring that I run on it. Come to think of it, that is all I bought for it!

Why do I have so many single speeds? Heck.......I dunno! It just happened that way, I guess.

Sign me: Shiftless In Iowa.

Single Speed Nation

So I am looking around down in the Guitar Ted Laboratory for something the other day, and I stopped to take stock of how many single speeds I have.

Yeah, yeah.......I get to test a lot of bikes. Like the one I have pictured today, they come and they go. But I am not talking about those bikes. I'm talking about bikes I bought for myself, or ones I salvaged into single speed rigs.

I got to thinking about why that is. Why so many single speed bicycles? Well, maybe this quote from this very blog back in 2006 will help explain it.

"There are about as many reasons people ride single speed bikes as there are people. I'm not going to delve into that subject. I do it because that's what I grew up on. I never really quite got on with gears, although, for road riding, I've got the hang of it. But that's just me! "

So there ya go. I never had a geared bicycle growing up. I just pedaled harder, or walked. I suppose that is why I gravitate towards the single speed rigs. I never was in too much of a hurry, (just ask my Mom!), and doing any sort of maintenance was kind of an unknown for me back then. I mean, you had to air up the tires once a year. Then what? Well.......I did skid through my fair share of slicks!

I certainly don't do it to be cool. The single speeding cool factor has long been gone. And I was a single speeder before it was cool anyway. I don't do it to be fashionable, because well......most of my single speeds look trashy! (The Raleigh Rainier being a notable exception) I do have a fixed gear road bike, but you wouldn't ever mistake me for a "hipster". For one thing, I don't have the wardrobe, and for another, my fixie is an early 70's Raleigh Gran Prix rat-ride. Nothing at all fashionable about it. Heck, the most I spent on it was for the Miche track cog and lock ring that I run on it. Come to think of it, that is all I bought for it!

Why do I have so many single speeds? Heck.......I dunno! It just happened that way, I guess.

Sign me: Shiftless In Iowa.

That Could Have Been The Last.....

<====It might be awhile again before it's this nice out.

Not to rub it in, but I had yesterday off. (Score!) Things lined up weather-wise so that that will be the last nice day in awhile. Believe me- I took advantage of that fact!

I have just received the Rawland Cycles "Elgokse" stem/bar combo. "What the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks is that, you ask? Well, just think "modernized Bull Moose bars" and you'll get the gist of it. These are even done up in chrome too! Makes me feel like I am behind the wheel of a '53 Buick, it does! Got that chrome bumper look there. Anyway, I got these and I rode them yesterday.

<===A look from above.

The "Elgokse" (Norwegian for "moose") isn't a light weight either. I know the weight of the set up, but I ain't tellin'! Let's just say they are "phat", and leave it at that, mmmkay? I like that I can adjust the angle of the bar by loosening the two face plates and rotating the bar to get up sweep, a flat profile, or slight down sweep. Ya can't do that with your vintage Bull Moose!

It's interesting to note also that the Pofahl was supposed to have a custom "Bull Moose" type bar from the get-go, but the custom builder contracted to make them ignored me. (I ain't tellin' that name either!) Anyway, so I end up with the look I intended from Day One, so that was a nice deal.

The Pofahl is a single speed, and this bar rocks as a single speed bar. Stiff and wide! Rock the bike up a climb like a pro. You won't feel the bars give an inch. Nice! How wide? How about 700mm wide? Yeah........34mm wider than anything Surly makes. (But numbers don't mean anything, right? ha ha!) If you don't like them that wide, there are graduated marks on the Elgokse to make them narrower. I liked them at full width, so these won't be seeing the hack saw.

More later on the Elgokse, and also on the outlandish Antler Bar! (Wait'll you see this!)

The ride was great. I went on a "multi-terrain" ride through some streets, bike paths, dirt short cuts, and on back roads and single track. It was all good. I got two hours straight in on the Pofahl, then I ran an errand on my Raleigh Rainier rig to the Post Office and back. What a great day to be on the bike.

If you missed the great weather, I hope for your sakes and mine that there is an Indian Summer coming yet. I sure am not ready for "the gales of November to come early"! (Remember that one?)

That Could Have Been The Last.....

<====It might be awhile again before it's this nice out.

Not to rub it in, but I had yesterday off. (Score!) Things lined up weather-wise so that that will be the last nice day in awhile. Believe me- I took advantage of that fact!

I have just received the Rawland Cycles "Elgokse" stem/bar combo. "What the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks is that, you ask? Well, just think "modernized Bull Moose bars" and you'll get the gist of it. These are even done up in chrome too! Makes me feel like I am behind the wheel of a '53 Buick, it does! Got that chrome bumper look there. Anyway, I got these and I rode them yesterday.

<===A look from above.

The "Elgokse" (Norwegian for "moose") isn't a light weight either. I know the weight of the set up, but I ain't tellin'! Let's just say they are "phat", and leave it at that, mmmkay? I like that I can adjust the angle of the bar by loosening the two face plates and rotating the bar to get up sweep, a flat profile, or slight down sweep. Ya can't do that with your vintage Bull Moose!

It's interesting to note also that the Pofahl was supposed to have a custom "Bull Moose" type bar from the get-go, but the custom builder contracted to make them ignored me. (I ain't tellin' that name either!) Anyway, so I end up with the look I intended from Day One, so that was a nice deal.

The Pofahl is a single speed, and this bar rocks as a single speed bar. Stiff and wide! Rock the bike up a climb like a pro. You won't feel the bars give an inch. Nice! How wide? How about 700mm wide? Yeah........34mm wider than anything Surly makes. (But numbers don't mean anything, right? ha ha!) If you don't like them that wide, there are graduated marks on the Elgokse to make them narrower. I liked them at full width, so these won't be seeing the hack saw.

More later on the Elgokse, and also on the outlandish Antler Bar! (Wait'll you see this!)

The ride was great. I went on a "multi-terrain" ride through some streets, bike paths, dirt short cuts, and on back roads and single track. It was all good. I got two hours straight in on the Pofahl, then I ran an errand on my Raleigh Rainier rig to the Post Office and back. What a great day to be on the bike.

If you missed the great weather, I hope for your sakes and mine that there is an Indian Summer coming yet. I sure am not ready for "the gales of November to come early"! (Remember that one?)

Raleigh Rainier Gets Ridden!

<===In the sun.

Just thought I'd let everyone know I finally got this Raleigh Rainier out for a ride. It's a pretty smooth ride too, what with the carbon fork and my fat-as-I-can-fit tires. Which brings me to a teensy problem.

There isn't enough room for that IRC 42mm back there. Oh, it spins through the frame okay. It's just that there is no room for error! If I got any mud back there, or had a slightly out of true wheel, well forget about the paint job! It would be gone. So I got a cheapo Bontrager 35mm tire down at the shop and slapped it on there. Bingo! Lots of room now. At least I'll be able to gravel grind and commute now on this. Which brings me to my next point......

Gravel and paint on the down tube don't seem to mix, at least if history is any indicator. So I will be getting some frame saver tape at a motorcycle shop, or somewhere, to line the lower quarter of the down tube and the bottom bracket shell. That way I won't have an ugly, pitted, or chipped up frame from gravel projectiles. Which leads me to my final point..............

The gravel is pretty soft yet, so this won't be the weapon of choice until things dry up. All I can say about cyclo cross is "No wonder you guys are blowing up yer heart rates!" These cyclo cross tires, (and I was running 42mm, mind you) just knife right into the earth! Makes you work waaaay too hard. So I will be riding some good ol' fatty 2 inchers until the roads firm up and then we'll bust out the skinnier tires. Maybe I'll have to commute to work on it. Tuesday maybe, so Captain Bob can roll in to check it out.

Raleigh Rainier Gets Ridden!

<===In the sun.

Just thought I'd let everyone know I finally got this Raleigh Rainier out for a ride. It's a pretty smooth ride too, what with the carbon fork and my fat-as-I-can-fit tires. Which brings me to a teensy problem.

There isn't enough room for that IRC 42mm back there. Oh, it spins through the frame okay. It's just that there is no room for error! If I got any mud back there, or had a slightly out of true wheel, well forget about the paint job! It would be gone. So I got a cheapo Bontrager 35mm tire down at the shop and slapped it on there. Bingo! Lots of room now. At least I'll be able to gravel grind and commute now on this. Which brings me to my next point......

Gravel and paint on the down tube don't seem to mix, at least if history is any indicator. So I will be getting some frame saver tape at a motorcycle shop, or somewhere, to line the lower quarter of the down tube and the bottom bracket shell. That way I won't have an ugly, pitted, or chipped up frame from gravel projectiles. Which leads me to my final point..............

The gravel is pretty soft yet, so this won't be the weapon of choice until things dry up. All I can say about cyclo cross is "No wonder you guys are blowing up yer heart rates!" These cyclo cross tires, (and I was running 42mm, mind you) just knife right into the earth! Makes you work waaaay too hard. So I will be riding some good ol' fatty 2 inchers until the roads firm up and then we'll bust out the skinnier tires. Maybe I'll have to commute to work on it. Tuesday maybe, so Captain Bob can roll in to check it out.