Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles social media

Salsa Cycles Teases Drop Bar MTB:

On Tuesday of this past week, Salsa Cycles dropped a teaser for a new bicycle which is said to be coming to their dealers in January of 2026. 

Tagged only with the words "Curioser and Curioser", the silhouette of the bike is shown against a murky, forest-like scene. Perhaps this hints at the model's new name.

Comments: Whooo-boy! The comments on this are just what you'd expect from the mostly-negative peanut gallery. I won't get into their thoughts as they are not really going to do anything but be noise here.  

What I will say is this looks like stab at a niche which may be pretty far off most folks radar. My guess is this is a "fast bikepacking" platform. But this is just a guess. I highly doubt it is a drop bar alternative for trail riding only, but obviously, it probably will be capable of doing just that. My first impression when seeing this was it could be a full-sus gravel bike, but I think the travel on the fork looks a bit long for this to be pigeon-holed as just a gravel bike. Besides, look at the height of the bottom bracket. This looks much more off-road than on-road. 

I guess we will all find out together in January!

Image courtesy of Mondraker Bicycles.

Mondraker Offers Arid Carbon Unlimited Frameset:

On Wednesday Mondraker Bicycles announced a new version of their Arid Carbon gravel bike called the Arid Carbon Unlimited. This new frame set is painted in a color-shifting "Eclipse" scheme which will look different depending upon the viewer's angle of sight and lighting conditions.  

The frame also features a lighter version of the  Stealth Air Carbon Fork which has the accessory mounts removed for a sleeker look and 60 gram lighter weight. 

Prices in the press release were not given in US dollars, but looking at the listed retail pricing my guess is this would be around $2,500.00 before any tariffs. This is assuming it will even be available in the USA. With this in mind, I still think this is a high-end frame set worth seeking out for its geometry and promised smoother riding qualities.   

Image courtesy of Castelli

Castelli Partners With Polartec For New AirCore™ Jacket Tech:

Castelli released news of a new Perfetto RoS jacket on Tuesday of this past week which uses a new fabric which may radicalize how we view rain wear.  

The inside joke regarding any weather protective jackets has always been you get wetter on the inside than you would on the outside when wearing a rain jacket while cycling. I've tried several rain jackets and this has mostly been the case. I did have one Endura made, Niner Bikes branded soft shell jacket which was the only cycling jacket I ever had which kept me warm, dry, and was almost wind proof and had a little resistance to wetness. But yeah, most claims of "breathability" in rain wear is laughable at best. 

To understand this one must know a lot of the details and tech behind poor weather wear for cycling. Most, if not all, rain wear has three layers. In the simplest terms, the rain is kept at bay while this three layer fabric supposedly allows your perspiration to find its way through to get evaporated into the atmosphere. Trouble is, this happens at such a slow rate in most jackets as to be largely ineffective. 

Then Shakedry, a magical, single layer fabric came out around eight years ago or so which actually did the magic trick of being waterproof and kept you dry inside of it. However; it was difficult to make and was limited by its non-stretchy, and less durable nature. Then it was found to have high levels of PFC's which were being linked to cancer. A ban on PFC's in several countries has led to the discontinuation of Shakedry jackets. Back to the same ol'-same ol"? No.... Not according to Castelli. 

Castelli went to Polartec and asked them to create a new fabric with no PFC's which would repel water and wind yet be actually breathable, not just breathable in theory. So, the claim is now being made. The new AirCore™ fabric, spun from recycled polyesters, is this new wonder-fabric which will breath and repel water and wind. 

This fabric will be an exclusive to Castelli and its sister brand, Sporful, for cycling, but look for AirCore™ to show up in other brand's outwear this Winter. We will see if the mystical combination of weather-proofness and dry interior performance during active use will become a reality.  

Image courtesy of Specialized Bicycles

Specialized Releases Details On Gen4 Diverge:

Specialized on Tuesday released details on a new version of the Diverge, their gravel bike, and there are several new features and tweaks to cover here.

First off, the Future Shock system gets an upgrade on the higher end models with hydraulic damping and adjustability for rider weight and preferences. The geometry has been tweaked by way of a longer front-center for each size matched up with a slack head angle and 5mm lower bottom bracket across the range. Tire clearance is up to 700 X 50mm, and alloy models now get down tube frame storage capabilities. Prices start at 2K and range up to 10K for the top-end model. Se the range HERE. 

Comments: The social media commentary on gravel bikes, including this one, is hilarious. Many think 2017 MTB's are "old school", that gravel bikes are "just pretend flat bar hard tail MTB's", and seeing many trying to wrap their minds around an 85mm bottom bracket drop is particularly fun. 

Anyway, this new Diverge was developed through feedback from Specialized sponsored Pro gravel racers, so anyone making comments on these bicycles being lacking, or dumb in any way are just not getting the message. Racers want what racers believe they need to go faster. Much of what they believe is data-driven, so this is not just a bunch of marketing hoo-ha cooked up to strip the riding populace of their hard-earned dollars. 

Oddly enough, many of the details which the Pros seem to want in a gravel bike align with what I think works best for "just riding around", on gravel. Besides the lack of versatility which racers do not need or want, I'm in. This is the only nit I would have with the Diverge.  

Image courtesy of Santa Cruz Bicycles

New Stigmata HTSQD Colorway Debuts:

Santa Cruz showed off this special colorway of their Stigmata gravel bike recently which can be had as a full-build or frame and fork. The frame and fork combo is listed at $2,799.00 USD. 

The frame/fork combo can be seen HERE. 

Comments: N.Y. Roll has an older Stigmata, and he seems to like it well enough to keep it around for now. I like this newer version, maybe as a more racy option for myself, at any rate. 

The geometry on this is a bit longish and sizing this bike is a bit of a conundrum fror me. I think I'd opt for the Large but with a 52.5cm seat tube length it would require quite a lot of seat post extension. I suppose this is by design to accommodate dropper posts, which these MTB-centric brands like to put on their gravel bikes. 

Cool colors, at any rate. I do like this about the new Stiggy. 

That's a wrap for this week! Have a great weekend and ride those bicycles!

Another Day- Another Gravel Bike

The new Santa Cruz Stigmata

It seems that about every day I am hearing about someone's new gravel bike that is coming out. And, really, it shouldn't be all that surprising. If it isn't gravel, it is the so-called "e-bike", or hey! Gravel e-bikes!

yawn...... Okay, so this all strikes me as being pretty crazy. You all know, if you've been here long enough, that I was bantering on about bicycles for this task ten years ago. I was researching the ideas, talking with trusted friends, and looking at the few things that were coming up that were "gravel oriented". The thing was, there weren't many that believed in gravel cycling as being anything worthy of making a bicycle for. Heck, even specific tires for the task were hard to come by.

But that was okay. I mean, it wasn't stopping any of us that were riding gravel from, you know......riding gravel. Now it seems like "you are doing it all wrong" if you are not on a gravel bike. Well, here is another thing I've been saying all along- you can ride any bike on gravel. Don't let anyone make you feel you have to have "such-and-such" bike to really do an event, ride, or adventure. But that said, there are sharper tools in the shed now. If you are so inclined, grab one.

And when it comes down to it, you all may also remember that I said most people would be better served by such a bike as a "gravel bike". (For the record, I really do not like that moniker. ) So, it would make sense that if the bicycle industry got off the "racing bike" nonsense, that more gravel bikes would be made, and it has happened. The people spoke with their purchases and whatta ya know? More gravel bikes are being proffered to satisfy demand.

They say this is actually going to happen this year.

Unlike fat bikes, which spiked and then fell flat within three years, this "bubble" hasn't popped yet. Now, I think it will, but I don't think it will fall flat on its face like fat bikes have done. But time will tell. All I know now is that another announcement of a gravel bike had better be pretty different to grab the spotlight these days. You know, kinda like that Niner gravel bike, or something radical like Canyon's weird handle bar rig. Otherwise it is just another day.........

Another Day- Another Gravel Bike

The new Santa Cruz Stigmata

It seems that about every day I am hearing about someone's new gravel bike that is coming out. And, really, it shouldn't be all that surprising. If it isn't gravel, it is the so-called "e-bike", or hey! Gravel e-bikes!

yawn...... Okay, so this all strikes me as being pretty crazy. You all know, if you've been here long enough, that I was bantering on about bicycles for this task ten years ago. I was researching the ideas, talking with trusted friends, and looking at the few things that were coming up that were "gravel oriented". The thing was, there weren't many that believed in gravel cycling as being anything worthy of making a bicycle for. Heck, even specific tires for the task were hard to come by.

But that was okay. I mean, it wasn't stopping any of us that were riding gravel from, you know......riding gravel. Now it seems like "you are doing it all wrong" if you are not on a gravel bike. Well, here is another thing I've been saying all along- you can ride any bike on gravel. Don't let anyone make you feel you have to have "such-and-such" bike to really do an event, ride, or adventure. But that said, there are sharper tools in the shed now. If you are so inclined, grab one.

And when it comes down to it, you all may also remember that I said most people would be better served by such a bike as a "gravel bike". (For the record, I really do not like that moniker. ) So, it would make sense that if the bicycle industry got off the "racing bike" nonsense, that more gravel bikes would be made, and it has happened. The people spoke with their purchases and whatta ya know? More gravel bikes are being proffered to satisfy demand.

They say this is actually going to happen this year.

Unlike fat bikes, which spiked and then fell flat within three years, this "bubble" hasn't popped yet. Now, I think it will, but I don't think it will fall flat on its face like fat bikes have done. But time will tell. All I know now is that another announcement of a gravel bike had better be pretty different to grab the spotlight these days. You know, kinda like that Niner gravel bike, or something radical like Canyon's weird handle bar rig. Otherwise it is just another day.........

Shopping For Bikes

Santa Cruz just announced the carbon version of the Chameleon.

This year I am shopping for a new mountain bike. The old one, my Singular Buzzard, is fine, really, and I've been in no hurry to replace it, but for a few newer developments. Wheels are a big thing, and it is that new Boost thing-a-ma-jigger that has me contemplating a new mtb. So, following is a few points I have that I wish to have represented in my new mountain bike.

• I really would like to do something in a 29+, but that isn't 100% necessary.
• Hard tail....probably. I'm not locked in to that either. I could be talked into a full suspension rig, but there doesn't seem to be much out there that is single track, Mid-West friendly. That is true for a lot of hard tails as well. But, there are some things that are "okay". 
• No 27.5- Not even on my radar.
• Front Suspension- Yes. Although a rigid front end isn't out of the question, I am certain a front suspension fork would make everything more-betterer. Or something.......That said I don't need a ton of travel.
• Not Aluminum. Again.....not 100% agin' it. But aluminum hard tails are......not my favorite. 
• Through axles. Boost. Dropper post routed. Threaded bottom bracket. All musts on this list. 
• I shouldn't have to sell a kidney to buy it. Santa Cruz just announced a Carbon Chameleon. Retails at 5K. Uhh.......nope. Too rich for my blood. 

Right now some of Surly's offerings look rather appealing to me. But I'm open to suggestions. To tell the truth, my "budget be damned", dream bike would be a Jones titanium LWB 29+. To me, that is my ultimate bike. I guess a steel one would do.......

This all said, my current steel Singular Buzzard isn't all that bad. So, if a suitable replacement doesn't present itself within a reasonable budget, I can pass on it. A mountain bike isn't missing from my stable, it is just something I'd like to upgrade......maybe. 

Another one that is up for replacement.

Now I am not done shopping just yet. Oh no! I have one other aging rig in the stable and this is actually a bit more pressing in terms of "need". That being a new gravel frame and fork with through axles to replace the aging Tamland Two.

The Tamland Two is really hard to beat. It is steel, the fork is steel and is famously smooth. But......quick release axle standard. That's really all there is against it, in my eyes. The thing is, the wheel market is moving to through axles and I need to be able to have that available in my test sleds for RidingGravel.com so when I get wheels in for testing I am not limited to one bike. (The BMC MCD currently)

Once again, I have a list of desires for a replacement and these are fairly non-negotiable.

• Deeper than 70mm bottom bracket drop. I am convinced it makes a difference in handling. The sweet spot being somewhere between 72mm and 75mm. 
• Head angle of less than 72°- Steeper than this brings on a front end that hunts for a line, requires more attention to keep on track in loose stuff, and generally is not of interest to me. My ideal would be 71°. 
• Chain stays at least 430mm long. Too short and that rear wheel is right under my butt and that translates to rougher, sketchier ride quality. No longer than 440mm is necessary though. 
• Threaded bottom bracket, standard head set, (pressed in cups), not real interested in internal routing. 
• Single speed conversion a plus. 
• Steel, titanium, then aluminum, and finally carbon fiber, in that order of frame preference. Carbon is susceptible to wear through from mud and detritus found in mud like grass, rocks, and whatever else Level B roads may contain. Much more so than the other metal frames would be. Carbon would be at the bottom of my list in desirable frame materials. Steel and titanium are tops on my list. By a country mile. 
• Not interested in a 1X only frame. It must have front derailleur compatibility. 

So, I really am being pretty picky here, but after riding thousands of miles of gravel roads in several states, I am pretty sure I know what I want. Will I find it? Maybe...... Maybe another Black Mountain Cycles MCD!

Stay tuned.

Shopping For Bikes

Santa Cruz just announced the carbon version of the Chameleon.

This year I am shopping for a new mountain bike. The old one, my Singular Buzzard, is fine, really, and I've been in no hurry to replace it, but for a few newer developments. Wheels are a big thing, and it is that new Boost thing-a-ma-jigger that has me contemplating a new mtb. So, following is a few points I have that I wish to have represented in my new mountain bike.

• I really would like to do something in a 29+, but that isn't 100% necessary.
• Hard tail....probably. I'm not locked in to that either. I could be talked into a full suspension rig, but there doesn't seem to be much out there that is single track, Mid-West friendly. That is true for a lot of hard tails as well. But, there are some things that are "okay". 
• No 27.5- Not even on my radar.
• Front Suspension- Yes. Although a rigid front end isn't out of the question, I am certain a front suspension fork would make everything more-betterer. Or something.......That said I don't need a ton of travel.
• Not Aluminum. Again.....not 100% agin' it. But aluminum hard tails are......not my favorite. 
• Through axles. Boost. Dropper post routed. Threaded bottom bracket. All musts on this list. 
• I shouldn't have to sell a kidney to buy it. Santa Cruz just announced a Carbon Chameleon. Retails at 5K. Uhh.......nope. Too rich for my blood. 

Right now some of Surly's offerings look rather appealing to me. But I'm open to suggestions. To tell the truth, my "budget be damned", dream bike would be a Jones titanium LWB 29+. To me, that is my ultimate bike. I guess a steel one would do.......

This all said, my current steel Singular Buzzard isn't all that bad. So, if a suitable replacement doesn't present itself within a reasonable budget, I can pass on it. A mountain bike isn't missing from my stable, it is just something I'd like to upgrade......maybe. 

Another one that is up for replacement.

Now I am not done shopping just yet. Oh no! I have one other aging rig in the stable and this is actually a bit more pressing in terms of "need". That being a new gravel frame and fork with through axles to replace the aging Tamland Two.

The Tamland Two is really hard to beat. It is steel, the fork is steel and is famously smooth. But......quick release axle standard. That's really all there is against it, in my eyes. The thing is, the wheel market is moving to through axles and I need to be able to have that available in my test sleds for RidingGravel.com so when I get wheels in for testing I am not limited to one bike. (The BMC MCD currently)

Once again, I have a list of desires for a replacement and these are fairly non-negotiable.

• Deeper than 70mm bottom bracket drop. I am convinced it makes a difference in handling. The sweet spot being somewhere between 72mm and 75mm. 
• Head angle of less than 72°- Steeper than this brings on a front end that hunts for a line, requires more attention to keep on track in loose stuff, and generally is not of interest to me. My ideal would be 71°. 
• Chain stays at least 430mm long. Too short and that rear wheel is right under my butt and that translates to rougher, sketchier ride quality. No longer than 440mm is necessary though. 
• Threaded bottom bracket, standard head set, (pressed in cups), not real interested in internal routing. 
• Single speed conversion a plus. 
• Steel, titanium, then aluminum, and finally carbon fiber, in that order of frame preference. Carbon is susceptible to wear through from mud and detritus found in mud like grass, rocks, and whatever else Level B roads may contain. Much more so than the other metal frames would be. Carbon would be at the bottom of my list in desirable frame materials. Steel and titanium are tops on my list. By a country mile. 
• Not interested in a 1X only frame. It must have front derailleur compatibility. 

So, I really am being pretty picky here, but after riding thousands of miles of gravel roads in several states, I am pretty sure I know what I want. Will I find it? Maybe...... Maybe another Black Mountain Cycles MCD!

Stay tuned.

They Said It Couldn't Be Done: Part Two

Santa Cruz Bikes' new V10. A 29"er DH bike? Yes!

Subtitled: I Also Said It Couldn't Be Done

All along the 29 inch wheels development, I said that the big wheel was best for a lot of things. I figured a lot of things would be possible to design around 29" wheels. One thing I have always said I thought wouldn't work was a 29 inch wheeled down hill racing bike. A serious effort at one would never happen, right? I mean, first of all, who would even think about doing a fork? There were a couple of things made- White Brothers and Manitou Dorado forks were efforts that pushed the envelope, but weren't going to be taken seriously by any Pro level rider. But a true, Pro-worthy DH fork? Yeah.......right! When pigs fly.

ATTENTION! Pig flying at 12:00 o'clock! 

Times have changed and things have developed to the point where riders seeking to roll faster down hill have discovered big wheels. 29 inch wheels, and the companies that support that size now include companies that are serious in the DH world. Fox, Enve, and Chris King. Santa Cruz, also a stalwart bike company in the DH scene, started the ball rolling with their team, but it has been hinted at by some that many other 29"er DH bikes are in the wings waiting to be revealed. That Fox made a special fork for this is a huge clue. As I have said before, companies like Fox won't do tooling and manufacturing set ups for small production runs and one-offs. No, there are other companies involved and I wouldn't at all be surprised to see Rock Shox also debuting a big, 29"er DH fork.

Yep. I never thought I'd see the day when 29 inch wheels were a thing in every form of mountain biking. But they are now.

They Said It Couldn't Be Done: Part Two

Santa Cruz Bikes' new V10. A 29"er DH bike? Yes!

Subtitled: I Also Said It Couldn't Be Done

All along the 29 inch wheels development, I said that the big wheel was best for a lot of things. I figured a lot of things would be possible to design around 29" wheels. One thing I have always said I thought wouldn't work was a 29 inch wheeled down hill racing bike. A serious effort at one would never happen, right? I mean, first of all, who would even think about doing a fork? There were a couple of things made- White Brothers and Manitou Dorado forks were efforts that pushed the envelope, but weren't going to be taken seriously by any Pro level rider. But a true, Pro-worthy DH fork? Yeah.......right! When pigs fly.

ATTENTION! Pig flying at 12:00 o'clock! 

Times have changed and things have developed to the point where riders seeking to roll faster down hill have discovered big wheels. 29 inch wheels, and the companies that support that size now include companies that are serious in the DH world. Fox, Enve, and Chris King. Santa Cruz, also a stalwart bike company in the DH scene, started the ball rolling with their team, but it has been hinted at by some that many other 29"er DH bikes are in the wings waiting to be revealed. That Fox made a special fork for this is a huge clue. As I have said before, companies like Fox won't do tooling and manufacturing set ups for small production runs and one-offs. No, there are other companies involved and I wouldn't at all be surprised to see Rock Shox also debuting a big, 29"er DH fork.

Yep. I never thought I'd see the day when 29 inch wheels were a thing in every form of mountain biking. But they are now.

We Always Knew It Could Be This Way

Gary Fisher had it figured out right away.... (circa 1999)

Take a quick glance at this image of a bicycle drawing. Would you believe it if I told you this was a current idea, waiting to be developed by some small brand that wanted a short rear end, long top tube hard tail? You could easily be forgiven for thinking just that, as this rendering is very contemporary for today's tastes in 29"er hard tail design. But here's the kicker- it is a drawing from 1999. 

Gary Fisher, who had just gotten a few sets of the unprecedented Nanoraptor 29"er tires to play with, was busy designing a 29"er frame set with WTB's Mark Slate and Steve Potts. Fisher knew he wanted a shorter rear end, a long, low front end, and a suspension fork. He wanted a front derailleur as well because you just had to have one. It would be some dozen years or so before SRAM would introduce a 1X drive train with gearing that was anywhere close to a triple crank set's gearing. That kind of nixed the short chain stay deal. Gary tried a modded front derailleur, but of course, everyone but a few visionaries thought that Mr. Fisher was out of his mind. It would all be deemed as a totally impossible thing to do with those "wagon wheels". Subsequently, many compromises were made which didn't do 29"ers any good, but as we all know now, they were overcome one by one until today.

I haven't written much about 29"ers here since, well, there wasn't a whole lot to say in recent years. The industry had its attention diverted elsewhere. However; I've been casually observing a trend in the last few years. 29"er FS designs with very good geometry numbers and performance that was knocking the socks off of riders all over. Brands like Banshee, Kona, Lenz, Transition, Santa Cruz, and Evil were dishing out stuff that was hearkening back to the stuff Mr. Fisher had floating around in his brain back 17 years ago. Only thing was that now it was actually possible to pull this stuff off. 

The new Hightower (29"er) from Santa Cruz.

 Tuesday it was all over the web that Santa Cruz had introduced a new bike that had this "forward thinking geometry". (<===HA!) Interestingly, you almost miss in all the hoopla that this bike is a 29"er. It was almost as if Santa Cruz doesn't want you to think about that part. In fact, one description of the bike from a journo who was flown in to try one out in South America said something to the effect that he didn't think about the bike being a 29"er the whole time he was riding it. Then he went on to say that he had a rough relationship with 29"ers, (well....all big time bike journos say that, don't they?), and that this bike was convincing him they weren't all that bad for him. Gee, welcome to 2009, Sir! Anywho......

The thing is that now, after a short pause to have some flings with other off road ideas, the bigger brands have started to come around to the idea that maybe these 29"ers "can do", and that nothing is really impossible for 29"ers, except maybe that they don't fit a lot of women and smaller riders all that well. Ride the biggest wheels you can fit on, and that seems wise.

Somewhere in a fancy suit and tie, I imagine Mr. Fisher seeing all of this and that a wry smile curls his handlebar mustache a little bit. It could always have been this way. He saw this years ago, and so did Devin Lenz, and a few others who "got it" years ago. It isn't anything new. But really, nothing is new in the bicycle world. We just have the ways and means to actually make it work better now.

Note: This post was inspired by the head cheese at TNI these days, Grannygear, and a post he did recently on the state of 29"ers in 2016. Read it HERE.

We Always Knew It Could Be This Way

Gary Fisher had it figured out right away.... (circa 1999)

Take a quick glance at this image of a bicycle drawing. Would you believe it if I told you this was a current idea, waiting to be developed by some small brand that wanted a short rear end, long top tube hard tail? You could easily be forgiven for thinking just that, as this rendering is very contemporary for today's tastes in 29"er hard tail design. But here's the kicker- it is a drawing from 1999. 

Gary Fisher, who had just gotten a few sets of the unprecedented Nanoraptor 29"er tires to play with, was busy designing a 29"er frame set with WTB's Mark Slate and Steve Potts. Fisher knew he wanted a shorter rear end, a long, low front end, and a suspension fork. He wanted a front derailleur as well because you just had to have one. It would be some dozen years or so before SRAM would introduce a 1X drive train with gearing that was anywhere close to a triple crank set's gearing. That kind of nixed the short chain stay deal. Gary tried a modded front derailleur, but of course, everyone but a few visionaries thought that Mr. Fisher was out of his mind. It would all be deemed as a totally impossible thing to do with those "wagon wheels". Subsequently, many compromises were made which didn't do 29"ers any good, but as we all know now, they were overcome one by one until today.

I haven't written much about 29"ers here since, well, there wasn't a whole lot to say in recent years. The industry had its attention diverted elsewhere. However; I've been casually observing a trend in the last few years. 29"er FS designs with very good geometry numbers and performance that was knocking the socks off of riders all over. Brands like Banshee, Kona, Lenz, Transition, Santa Cruz, and Evil were dishing out stuff that was hearkening back to the stuff Mr. Fisher had floating around in his brain back 17 years ago. Only thing was that now it was actually possible to pull this stuff off. 

The new Hightower (29"er) from Santa Cruz.

 Tuesday it was all over the web that Santa Cruz had introduced a new bike that had this "forward thinking geometry". (<===HA!) Interestingly, you almost miss in all the hoopla that this bike is a 29"er. It was almost as if Santa Cruz doesn't want you to think about that part. In fact, one description of the bike from a journo who was flown in to try one out in South America said something to the effect that he didn't think about the bike being a 29"er the whole time he was riding it. Then he went on to say that he had a rough relationship with 29"ers, (well....all big time bike journos say that, don't they?), and that this bike was convincing him they weren't all that bad for him. Gee, welcome to 2009, Sir! Anywho......

The thing is that now, after a short pause to have some flings with other off road ideas, the bigger brands have started to come around to the idea that maybe these 29"ers "can do", and that nothing is really impossible for 29"ers, except maybe that they don't fit a lot of women and smaller riders all that well. Ride the biggest wheels you can fit on, and that seems wise.

Somewhere in a fancy suit and tie, I imagine Mr. Fisher seeing all of this and that a wry smile curls his handlebar mustache a little bit. It could always have been this way. He saw this years ago, and so did Devin Lenz, and a few others who "got it" years ago. It isn't anything new. But really, nothing is new in the bicycle world. We just have the ways and means to actually make it work better now.

Note: This post was inspired by the head cheese at TNI these days, Grannygear, and a post he did recently on the state of 29"ers in 2016. Read it HERE.

Last Of The Holdouts: Update

<===A Santa Cruz test mule in the back and a production prototype Tall Boy.

Well since my Friday post, a couple of the companies I mentioned have had images leaked of their work on 2010 29"er models. We have the Santa Cruz "Tall Boy" here in respendant orange to show you. It is a carbon fiber frame with just a hair over 4 inches of travel.

Funny name, "Tall Boy". I don't think anyone here in the Mid-West calls the big cans-o-beer tall boys anymore. We would have dubbed this rig the "Orange Silo", if we were thinking along those lines. But be that as it may, this bike will be available this fall, and expect to make a big payment!



<===From Lincoln, NE with love......

Tomac Bikes, which is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, is coming out with a 29"er for 2010 and this apparently is it. The Flint 29 will likely be something along the lines of this aluminum hardtail. The bottom bracket on this prototype appears to be an eccentric compatible one, indicating geared or single speed use. No word on whether this will be production spec or not.

So the leaks keep on coming. One thing is for certain, and that is that 2010 will be a big, big year for big wheelers!

Last Of The Holdouts: Update

<===A Santa Cruz test mule in the back and a production prototype Tall Boy.

Well since my Friday post, a couple of the companies I mentioned have had images leaked of their work on 2010 29"er models. We have the Santa Cruz "Tall Boy" here in respendant orange to show you. It is a carbon fiber frame with just a hair over 4 inches of travel.

Funny name, "Tall Boy". I don't think anyone here in the Mid-West calls the big cans-o-beer tall boys anymore. We would have dubbed this rig the "Orange Silo", if we were thinking along those lines. But be that as it may, this bike will be available this fall, and expect to make a big payment!



<===From Lincoln, NE with love......

Tomac Bikes, which is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, is coming out with a 29"er for 2010 and this apparently is it. The Flint 29 will likely be something along the lines of this aluminum hardtail. The bottom bracket on this prototype appears to be an eccentric compatible one, indicating geared or single speed use. No word on whether this will be production spec or not.

So the leaks keep on coming. One thing is for certain, and that is that 2010 will be a big, big year for big wheelers!

This Sounds Familiar....

In a recent story on Bike Radar about Santa Cruz's 29"er FS project, (which I also reported on for Twenty Nine Inches) there was some nice hints dropped about the future rig. However; as exciting as that might be, the really juicy bit was about something else entirely.


While comtemplating the story on the Santa cruz 29"er, I'll admit that the thought had crossed my mind about the 650B wheel size. It seemed a bit odd that since all these Nomads are out there getting converted over to the B wheels that Santa Cruz wouldn't hop on board with something along those lines. Well, there is the lack of a mainstream fork choice, which isn't good for marketing, and then there is very limited tire availability, but still. I wondered to myself, "Why?"


Well, I have my reasons why it wouldn't be, but that is just me, or so I thought. Take a look at what the article says here from Bike Radar on the Santa Cruz 29"er:


"BikeRadar asked Roskopp (owner of Santa Cruz) about his thoughts on the burgeoning 650B movement, and like many, shook his head as he wondered out loud about why the industry 'needs another wheel standard to monkey with.'

This was corraborated with What Mountain Bike's technical editor and multi-wheel-size-loving Steve Worland.

"There's a long term test feature on 26" vs 650B vs 29er waiting in the wings," Worland said.


"The main part of my conclusion was 'from a purely personal point of view, I’ll happily admit that I would like to have been convinced that a classy 650B build is the best of both worlds. But I wasn’t. There just didn’t seem to be enough real world advantages over 26-inch wheels'.

"The Pacenti tamed the bumps very slightly better than a 26er, but quite noticably better when I slotted in a 29-inch wheel up front," he added. "And when I slotted a 26-inch wheel with a 2.55-inch tyre in the back it felt better than with a 650B wheel with a 2-inch tyre. A big tyred 26er would be a far cheaper and more choice-happy solution too.

"At the end of the test, and after a lot of conversation, we were left thinking that a 650B bike is a great choice for riders who are too short to fully benefit from a full blown 29er… in other words sub 5ft 11in riders who like the idea of the rolling advantages of a 29er but find them a bit gawky to ride, or look at."

This, coming from a guy who's tested nearly 3,000 bikes in his time."


And this sounds eerily familiar to me. Seems like I've written much the same before. From a July 14th, 2008 post I wrote the following:



"650B: Here we have a real conundrum of a wheel size. Dubbed as something "halfway" between 26 and 29 inch wheels, the reality of 650B is that it is far more like a 26 inch wheeled bike than most devotees of the size would have you believe. I have ridden a few of these rigs and my take is that they are quite nice bikes, but they sure are not anything like a 29"er. Not even close. Are they better than a 26"er? Incrementally at best. At worst, you can't tell the difference, and on a long travel bike, (the very thing that proponents say 650B will shine at), you just can not tell at all that they are anything bigger than a 26 inch wheel. 650B spins up fast and loses momentum just as quickly. It's tire contact patch is incrementally bigger than a 26"ers and at that, a big 26 inch tire will equal that contact patch easily. In fact, a big 26 inch tire has the same outer diameter as a 650B NeoMoto, (currently the only game in town for "real" off roading in multi-condition terrain in 650B size*) For my money, it makes more sense to stick with 26"ers for choice of equipment, compatibility of fork/frames, and performance."

*Note: Since this was written a couple more suitable tire choices have hit the market.

So it would seem that maybe there is a wider agreement on this than I once thought. The B wheels probably won't go away, but they are also not going to be anywhere near as influential on mountain biking as a whole as 29 inch wheels are.

Santa Cruz, and many others seem to agree.

This Sounds Familiar....

In a recent story on Bike Radar about Santa Cruz's 29"er FS project, (which I also reported on for Twenty Nine Inches) there was some nice hints dropped about the future rig. However; as exciting as that might be, the really juicy bit was about something else entirely.


While comtemplating the story on the Santa cruz 29"er, I'll admit that the thought had crossed my mind about the 650B wheel size. It seemed a bit odd that since all these Nomads are out there getting converted over to the B wheels that Santa Cruz wouldn't hop on board with something along those lines. Well, there is the lack of a mainstream fork choice, which isn't good for marketing, and then there is very limited tire availability, but still. I wondered to myself, "Why?"


Well, I have my reasons why it wouldn't be, but that is just me, or so I thought. Take a look at what the article says here from Bike Radar on the Santa Cruz 29"er:


"BikeRadar asked Roskopp (owner of Santa Cruz) about his thoughts on the burgeoning 650B movement, and like many, shook his head as he wondered out loud about why the industry 'needs another wheel standard to monkey with.'

This was corraborated with What Mountain Bike's technical editor and multi-wheel-size-loving Steve Worland.

"There's a long term test feature on 26" vs 650B vs 29er waiting in the wings," Worland said.


"The main part of my conclusion was 'from a purely personal point of view, I’ll happily admit that I would like to have been convinced that a classy 650B build is the best of both worlds. But I wasn’t. There just didn’t seem to be enough real world advantages over 26-inch wheels'.

"The Pacenti tamed the bumps very slightly better than a 26er, but quite noticably better when I slotted in a 29-inch wheel up front," he added. "And when I slotted a 26-inch wheel with a 2.55-inch tyre in the back it felt better than with a 650B wheel with a 2-inch tyre. A big tyred 26er would be a far cheaper and more choice-happy solution too.

"At the end of the test, and after a lot of conversation, we were left thinking that a 650B bike is a great choice for riders who are too short to fully benefit from a full blown 29er… in other words sub 5ft 11in riders who like the idea of the rolling advantages of a 29er but find them a bit gawky to ride, or look at."

This, coming from a guy who's tested nearly 3,000 bikes in his time."


And this sounds eerily familiar to me. Seems like I've written much the same before. From a July 14th, 2008 post I wrote the following:



"650B: Here we have a real conundrum of a wheel size. Dubbed as something "halfway" between 26 and 29 inch wheels, the reality of 650B is that it is far more like a 26 inch wheeled bike than most devotees of the size would have you believe. I have ridden a few of these rigs and my take is that they are quite nice bikes, but they sure are not anything like a 29"er. Not even close. Are they better than a 26"er? Incrementally at best. At worst, you can't tell the difference, and on a long travel bike, (the very thing that proponents say 650B will shine at), you just can not tell at all that they are anything bigger than a 26 inch wheel. 650B spins up fast and loses momentum just as quickly. It's tire contact patch is incrementally bigger than a 26"ers and at that, a big 26 inch tire will equal that contact patch easily. In fact, a big 26 inch tire has the same outer diameter as a 650B NeoMoto, (currently the only game in town for "real" off roading in multi-condition terrain in 650B size*) For my money, it makes more sense to stick with 26"ers for choice of equipment, compatibility of fork/frames, and performance."

*Note: Since this was written a couple more suitable tire choices have hit the market.

So it would seem that maybe there is a wider agreement on this than I once thought. The B wheels probably won't go away, but they are also not going to be anywhere near as influential on mountain biking as a whole as 29 inch wheels are.

Santa Cruz, and many others seem to agree.