Friday News And Views

2013 Trek Crossrip Elite

NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

Initial Excitement Dampened: 

This week was the annual dealer only show dubbed "TrekWorld" and although much of what was to be shown was already known, a line of disc only, aluminum framed, budget conscious cross bikes were announced called "Crossrip".

The line up consists of the Crossrip and the Crossrip Elite, (MSRP $1269.00USD), and is being touted as an alternative to commuters, cross racers, and as I understand it, to gravel road riders as well.

Initially I was excited by the offerings due to their subtle looks and pricing, but I am now not quite as enthusiastic as I once was. You see, as I have already pointed out, I have certain ideas on geometry for gravel road riding/racing bikes. The Crossrip series, unfortunately, doesn't measure up so well.

Bottom bracket drop numbers were not available, but the head tube angles on most sizes is 72.5°. Really? That's steeper than most cross bikes, and certainly not gravel bike territory- well, that is unless your back roads are very smooth. Where I live, they certainly are not so. Chain stay length was a nice 430mm though, so for light touring with a front load on pavement, yeah......I can see that. But this ain't no gravel road eating machine. Too bad.

2013 Trek Stache

Initial Excitement Dampened Part II: 

Okay, here is another one I was a bit let down about, the Trek Stache. Initial reports were that this would be a short chain stay, slack angled fun trail bike. Well, they got the slack head angle all right.....

Unfortunately, the listed chain stay length is 445mm, which converts to 17.52 inches. Yeah.......that's not a short chain stay length on a 29"er hard tail, Trek. 

 I had noticed that in all of Trek's hype leading up to the catalog being made public that no mention of chain stay length in specific numbers, or anything alluding to a specific length, was ever mentioned. Just "short chain stays". Ha! Well, that cat is outta the bag now and this model is now going to be seen as a slack head tube angle hard tail 29"er that is neither a XC/Trail ripper or a highly maneuverable AM type hard tail. It will just be an oddball bike. Good? Yes.....probably, but the perception battle has already been lost here. Again......Too bad. 

3GR: Saturday morning at Gateway Park, 8:30am. I'll be there and hopefully will be debuting my tubeless Clement tire set up. I've been working on this all week, and hopeful signs are showing me that I may get away with getting these out on their first long ride Saturday. If not, the Orange Crush has the trusty tubed MSO tires to fall back on.

And while I'm on the subject of tires...here is another nugget that you folks can chew on over the weekend. It was a reminder from a reader here that prompted me to post this link. It is about how wider tires, with supple casings, at lower pressures are faster with less energy expended by the rider. Go here for the deets.

You may or may not agree, but for my money, this stuff makes a heck of a lot of sense. This is also a big influence on my thinking on gravel road bikes. (Yes- I've read through the "Bicycle Quarterly" articles in the past, so I have been aware of these tests for some time.) I've seen the practical results of how skinny tires vs wider tires has played out in Trans Iowa, the Dirty Kanza 200, Gravel Worlds, (which is this weekend!), and on other gravel road rides and events. It is why I like the lightweight, supple, higher volume tires for gravel road riding. And if you read the link, you'll see that running tires like these do not make you slower. On the contrary, seemingly.

Have a great weekend folks! Ride yer bicycles and have some fun already.

Friday News And Views

2013 Trek Crossrip Elite

NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

Initial Excitement Dampened: 

This week was the annual dealer only show dubbed "TrekWorld" and although much of what was to be shown was already known, a line of disc only, aluminum framed, budget conscious cross bikes were announced called "Crossrip".

The line up consists of the Crossrip and the Crossrip Elite, (MSRP $1269.00USD), and is being touted as an alternative to commuters, cross racers, and as I understand it, to gravel road riders as well.

Initially I was excited by the offerings due to their subtle looks and pricing, but I am now not quite as enthusiastic as I once was. You see, as I have already pointed out, I have certain ideas on geometry for gravel road riding/racing bikes. The Crossrip series, unfortunately, doesn't measure up so well.

Bottom bracket drop numbers were not available, but the head tube angles on most sizes is 72.5°. Really? That's steeper than most cross bikes, and certainly not gravel bike territory- well, that is unless your back roads are very smooth. Where I live, they certainly are not so. Chain stay length was a nice 430mm though, so for light touring with a front load on pavement, yeah......I can see that. But this ain't no gravel road eating machine. Too bad.

2013 Trek Stache

Initial Excitement Dampened Part II: 

Okay, here is another one I was a bit let down about, the Trek Stache. Initial reports were that this would be a short chain stay, slack angled fun trail bike. Well, they got the slack head angle all right.....

Unfortunately, the listed chain stay length is 445mm, which converts to 17.52 inches. Yeah.......that's not a short chain stay length on a 29"er hard tail, Trek. 

 I had noticed that in all of Trek's hype leading up to the catalog being made public that no mention of chain stay length in specific numbers, or anything alluding to a specific length, was ever mentioned. Just "short chain stays". Ha! Well, that cat is outta the bag now and this model is now going to be seen as a slack head tube angle hard tail 29"er that is neither a XC/Trail ripper or a highly maneuverable AM type hard tail. It will just be an oddball bike. Good? Yes.....probably, but the perception battle has already been lost here. Again......Too bad. 

3GR: Saturday morning at Gateway Park, 8:30am. I'll be there and hopefully will be debuting my tubeless Clement tire set up. I've been working on this all week, and hopeful signs are showing me that I may get away with getting these out on their first long ride Saturday. If not, the Orange Crush has the trusty tubed MSO tires to fall back on.

And while I'm on the subject of tires...here is another nugget that you folks can chew on over the weekend. It was a reminder from a reader here that prompted me to post this link. It is about how wider tires, with supple casings, at lower pressures are faster with less energy expended by the rider. Go here for the deets.

You may or may not agree, but for my money, this stuff makes a heck of a lot of sense. This is also a big influence on my thinking on gravel road bikes. (Yes- I've read through the "Bicycle Quarterly" articles in the past, so I have been aware of these tests for some time.) I've seen the practical results of how skinny tires vs wider tires has played out in Trans Iowa, the Dirty Kanza 200, Gravel Worlds, (which is this weekend!), and on other gravel road rides and events. It is why I like the lightweight, supple, higher volume tires for gravel road riding. And if you read the link, you'll see that running tires like these do not make you slower. On the contrary, seemingly.

Have a great weekend folks! Ride yer bicycles and have some fun already.

Friday News And Views

2013 Trek Stache 29"er

For a few years now some smaller Trail/AM/DH companies like Banshee, Canfield Brothers, and Cromag have been pumping out hard tail 29"ers with shorter chain stays and slacker head tube angles built around 120mm+ forks. Well, now Trek has taken note and produced a similar rig in the Stache.

While Trek stuck to a "conservative" 120mm of travel, I can totally see how such a bike would be a blast to ride. Well, only "if" you see yourself  as being a more aggressive rider that likes to blast over, off of, and through trail obstacles XC riders would avoid.

I've toyed with this very concept before with a couple of single speed frames. I really like the idea, but my experiments had geometry better suited to shorter forks, so I abandoned the idea. The bikes I had set up with 120mm forks showed me the potential fun to be had with this kind of a set up though.

If the Stache, (and others of its ilk), can climb as well as they (obviously) should descend, I could see how I might end up with one of these types of 29"ers. The fact that the Stache and other bikes like it can run a dropper post is even more appealing.

2013 Salsa Cycles Beargrease

Another interesting 2013 rig is Salsa Cycles Beargrease fat bike. Aimed at lowering weight and minimalistic, go faster fat bike racing, (which is taking off, actually, believe it or not), the Beargrease is said to weigh only 28.5lbs outta the box stock. Considering most fat bikes weigh north of 35lbs and this makes it more impressive.

I think Beargrease will not only appeal to racer types, but to anyone that wants to point big, fat, bulbous tires up, over, and through stuff more easily. (Notice a theme here today?) I know this is fun to do, and this new model from Salsa will only make that activity more widely appreciated.

Now it is also interesting to note that according to the specs I have seen, Salsa's new Mukluks for 2013 will actually be better for "mountain biking" type rides with the tweaks they have made to that model. Altenator drop outs now will allow shorter chain stay measurements and the bottom bracket height is a tic higher as well than older Muks and the Beargrease.

Salsa does offer frame sets, so older Muks could be parts swapped out to newer Muk frames for the tweaks and the tapered steer tube compatibility the new Muks also have. In fact, there is a Muk 2 frame set in black with purple decals.

Purple!

3GR: Tomorrow is another 3GR starting from Gateway Park across from downtown Cedar Falls. I know it is forecast to rain, but it looks like it won't come before noon, which is about when I get home from the 3GR anyway. Besides, when doesn't it look like rain for a 3GR? Pretty rare that it doesn't this year anyway.

Remember- next week is a fat bike edition of 3GR, so make your plans to join us next week. I know three to four guys that may show up. It could be the biggest fat bike gravel ride I've ever heard about.

Friday News And Views

2013 Trek Stache 29"er

For a few years now some smaller Trail/AM/DH companies like Banshee, Canfield Brothers, and Cromag have been pumping out hard tail 29"ers with shorter chain stays and slacker head tube angles built around 120mm+ forks. Well, now Trek has taken note and produced a similar rig in the Stache.

While Trek stuck to a "conservative" 120mm of travel, I can totally see how such a bike would be a blast to ride. Well, only "if" you see yourself  as being a more aggressive rider that likes to blast over, off of, and through trail obstacles XC riders would avoid.

I've toyed with this very concept before with a couple of single speed frames. I really like the idea, but my experiments had geometry better suited to shorter forks, so I abandoned the idea. The bikes I had set up with 120mm forks showed me the potential fun to be had with this kind of a set up though.

If the Stache, (and others of its ilk), can climb as well as they (obviously) should descend, I could see how I might end up with one of these types of 29"ers. The fact that the Stache and other bikes like it can run a dropper post is even more appealing.

2013 Salsa Cycles Beargrease

Another interesting 2013 rig is Salsa Cycles Beargrease fat bike. Aimed at lowering weight and minimalistic, go faster fat bike racing, (which is taking off, actually, believe it or not), the Beargrease is said to weigh only 28.5lbs outta the box stock. Considering most fat bikes weigh north of 35lbs and this makes it more impressive.

I think Beargrease will not only appeal to racer types, but to anyone that wants to point big, fat, bulbous tires up, over, and through stuff more easily. (Notice a theme here today?) I know this is fun to do, and this new model from Salsa will only make that activity more widely appreciated.

Now it is also interesting to note that according to the specs I have seen, Salsa's new Mukluks for 2013 will actually be better for "mountain biking" type rides with the tweaks they have made to that model. Altenator drop outs now will allow shorter chain stay measurements and the bottom bracket height is a tic higher as well than older Muks and the Beargrease.

Salsa does offer frame sets, so older Muks could be parts swapped out to newer Muk frames for the tweaks and the tapered steer tube compatibility the new Muks also have. In fact, there is a Muk 2 frame set in black with purple decals.

Purple!

3GR: Tomorrow is another 3GR starting from Gateway Park across from downtown Cedar Falls. I know it is forecast to rain, but it looks like it won't come before noon, which is about when I get home from the 3GR anyway. Besides, when doesn't it look like rain for a 3GR? Pretty rare that it doesn't this year anyway.

Remember- next week is a fat bike edition of 3GR, so make your plans to join us next week. I know three to four guys that may show up. It could be the biggest fat bike gravel ride I've ever heard about.