Blue Bell Fields Forever

You know those days when you get to ride and everything just comes together perfectly? It is the reason we all keep riding, or at least one of them, I think. Well, I can honestly say that yesterday was one of those days. It was soooo good I almost cried.

Really.

The bike, the way I was riding, and the setting were all just spot on. I don't know how it could have been any better. I felt so blessed I was almost guilty. Almost only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades though, as they say, so I sucked it up and gutted out the ride. (<===HA!)

Well, you can call it "climate change", or whatever, but this spring is just too weird. Everything is blooming at once. And the blue bells are bonkers this year. I can't remember seeing so many or so beautiful a display as this year's crop. I literally was surrounded at times by blue bells as far into the woods as I could see. And that with a serpentine stretch of single track right through it all.

The Rockstar made me a "trail star".

The scooter I was on was the Titus Cycles Rockstar. Since ditching the offensive wheels it came with, I have really enjoyed this bike. I knew it was decent, but with the WTB/American Classic wheel set it really has come to life.

I know some folks are not too fond of the WTB Bronson tires, but either I have some magical set, or it is the TCS version, or something, but these seem to be behaving quite well. The other Bronsons I have tried were on the Breezer, and that set was sketchy, especially the rear tire. They were also folding bead tires with tubes inside. Maybe that's the deal. Whatever it is, the Rockstar is just a hoot to throw into turns at higher and higher speeds.

I know for a fact that I was going around corners at The Camp faster than I had ever gone on any other bike before. Now, I am not in tip-top shape, or at least I don't feel like I am, so I am attributing this to the bike. Of course, having almost ideal dirt conditions doesn't hurt, but I've seen that before out there.

Probably the highlight of the ride was when I was slicing and dicing through some twisties as a herd of deer bounded away from me through the blue bells. Amazing! That's one ride I won't soon forget. However; it couldn't last forever, and at some point I had to say "enough is enough", and point the truck homeward.

I took a meandering route home, basking in the afterglow of "one of those rides", and in no particular hurry towards whatever was next, which happened to be lunch. After lunch, I got the itch to go out on one of my rarer two-a-days, so I grabbed the Fargo version II.

I have some new Michelin tires I am checking out on this scoot, so I set off to see how the Green Belt was faring after the wet, mucky season was over and now that we have transitioned into a dry spring.

The city actually has mown the path and taken care of the sketchy water crossing I had to traverse over the winter months. Nice. So there were no sticks and branches to worry about, as I was fearing when I started out. I obviously was not the only one recognizing the near perfect weather, as I encountered several folks out walking around in the woods, which was nice to see, actually.

I had to keep this ride fairly short, since the kids were due to be picked up from school soon, and I needed to get back and clean up a bit. So, I cut the Green Belt short by heading around the lake and hitting a paved bike path which took me almost directly back home. On the way, I hit something, or more correctly, something hit me. Right in the left lens on the Oakley glasses I was wearing. Now, I saw it coming at the last minute, and it looked like either the world's largest bumble bee, or a humming bird. Whatever it was, it thankfully took a glancing blow, or I may have had whiplash from that UFO!

I ended up capping off the day by having an ice cream cone with my kids. Yeah.......that was a perfect day!

Blue Bell Fields Forever

You know those days when you get to ride and everything just comes together perfectly? It is the reason we all keep riding, or at least one of them, I think. Well, I can honestly say that yesterday was one of those days. It was soooo good I almost cried.

Really.

The bike, the way I was riding, and the setting were all just spot on. I don't know how it could have been any better. I felt so blessed I was almost guilty. Almost only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades though, as they say, so I sucked it up and gutted out the ride. (<===HA!)

Well, you can call it "climate change", or whatever, but this spring is just too weird. Everything is blooming at once. And the blue bells are bonkers this year. I can't remember seeing so many or so beautiful a display as this year's crop. I literally was surrounded at times by blue bells as far into the woods as I could see. And that with a serpentine stretch of single track right through it all.

The Rockstar made me a "trail star".

The scooter I was on was the Titus Cycles Rockstar. Since ditching the offensive wheels it came with, I have really enjoyed this bike. I knew it was decent, but with the WTB/American Classic wheel set it really has come to life.

I know some folks are not too fond of the WTB Bronson tires, but either I have some magical set, or it is the TCS version, or something, but these seem to be behaving quite well. The other Bronsons I have tried were on the Breezer, and that set was sketchy, especially the rear tire. They were also folding bead tires with tubes inside. Maybe that's the deal. Whatever it is, the Rockstar is just a hoot to throw into turns at higher and higher speeds.

I know for a fact that I was going around corners at The Camp faster than I had ever gone on any other bike before. Now, I am not in tip-top shape, or at least I don't feel like I am, so I am attributing this to the bike. Of course, having almost ideal dirt conditions doesn't hurt, but I've seen that before out there.

Probably the highlight of the ride was when I was slicing and dicing through some twisties as a herd of deer bounded away from me through the blue bells. Amazing! That's one ride I won't soon forget. However; it couldn't last forever, and at some point I had to say "enough is enough", and point the truck homeward.

I took a meandering route home, basking in the afterglow of "one of those rides", and in no particular hurry towards whatever was next, which happened to be lunch. After lunch, I got the itch to go out on one of my rarer two-a-days, so I grabbed the Fargo version II.

I have some new Michelin tires I am checking out on this scoot, so I set off to see how the Green Belt was faring after the wet, mucky season was over and now that we have transitioned into a dry spring.

The city actually has mown the path and taken care of the sketchy water crossing I had to traverse over the winter months. Nice. So there were no sticks and branches to worry about, as I was fearing when I started out. I obviously was not the only one recognizing the near perfect weather, as I encountered several folks out walking around in the woods, which was nice to see, actually.

I had to keep this ride fairly short, since the kids were due to be picked up from school soon, and I needed to get back and clean up a bit. So, I cut the Green Belt short by heading around the lake and hitting a paved bike path which took me almost directly back home. On the way, I hit something, or more correctly, something hit me. Right in the left lens on the Oakley glasses I was wearing. Now, I saw it coming at the last minute, and it looked like either the world's largest bumble bee, or a humming bird. Whatever it was, it thankfully took a glancing blow, or I may have had whiplash from that UFO!

I ended up capping off the day by having an ice cream cone with my kids. Yeah.......that was a perfect day!

Loading Up For The Trip

Dropper Post

As I posted yesterday, I am about to take off for my vacation. This bike here, the Titus Rockstar, will be the bike I try to redeem myself on after last year's debacle.

Last year, I had a major fail after only a few miles of Franklin Mountain  when I went OTB and split my left knee wide open on some rocks.

This year, I return with a dropper post again courtesy of Grannygear and Specialized, and I have elbow and knee pads too. I will have a ginormous Osprey hydration pack which should make sure I won't have any trouble having enough water, food, and gear to fix anything that may go upside down on me.

I'm hoping to get a couple of days in while we're there and a lot more miles than I got last time! This bike is much better suited to the task at hand too, what with the slacker geometry, great stand over clearance, and lighter weight than last year's rig. Look for something about my attempt while I'm down there this coming week.

And speaking of the blog here, posts might be a bit erratic until I get back. Stay tuned.....

Loading Up For The Trip

Dropper Post

As I posted yesterday, I am about to take off for my vacation. This bike here, the Titus Rockstar, will be the bike I try to redeem myself on after last year's debacle.

Last year, I had a major fail after only a few miles of Franklin Mountain  when I went OTB and split my left knee wide open on some rocks.

This year, I return with a dropper post again courtesy of Grannygear and Specialized, and I have elbow and knee pads too. I will have a ginormous Osprey hydration pack which should make sure I won't have any trouble having enough water, food, and gear to fix anything that may go upside down on me.

I'm hoping to get a couple of days in while we're there and a lot more miles than I got last time! This bike is much better suited to the task at hand too, what with the slacker geometry, great stand over clearance, and lighter weight than last year's rig. Look for something about my attempt while I'm down there this coming week.

And speaking of the blog here, posts might be a bit erratic until I get back. Stay tuned.....

Moving Ahead

Well, with the disappointment in missing CIRREM I figured I had better get busy and make the most of the extra time on my hands. But before we get to that, here is something I wanted to show...

I would have rather shown this covered in the grit from CIRREM roads, but here is the Orange Crush with my 42mm IRC tires and Planet Bike fenders that I stuck on it for the mucky-muck that was predicted.

I did initially try the fenders with the Bontrager XR-1's, but besides not being wide enough, there really wasn't any room to fit them anyway. So, I knew the IRC tires would motor me through the muck, and they have much better tread for that sort of thing anyway. They feature some side lugs that remind me of tractor lugs. They also have a pretty stiff casing. I rode the bike briefly on Sunday with 40psi in the tires, and it looked and felt like I had 55psi in there.

I used these tires when the bike was a single speed last year, so they do well on gravel too. I may leave them on there until something better, (Clement MSO), comes along. The fenders will stay for now as well. I figure it can't hurt anything and I went to all the trouble of putting them on there after all. If I like them, I may opt for some fancy-schmancy aluminum ones, or something.

I need to get a few more rides on the Retroshift set up before I render my final verdict on these. I have learned a trick or two in how to shift them, and I also have found that the shifters allow for unique hand placements on the hoods/levers. The cables don't get in the way at all, by the way. I know some folks were wondering about that.

I did think that if you run a handle bar bag, these shifters might work better. Maybe not for a huge touring bar bag, but smaller bags or rolls should fit just right even with the cables where they are. On a down tube cabled bike, it would even be better.

I spent a big chunk of time dialing in this new Titus Rockstar. It's the second generation of this frame, which I was mentioning Friday. Well, I got to tinkering with the wheels and setting them up tubeless.

I went with the "MG" formula, which is just really a notch above anything else out there. It and the fit of the Rubena Scylla tires on the Crank Brothers rims seems to be all a match made in heaven, because I think it ranks right up there with one of the easiest non-Bontrager set ups I've done.

The bike is billed as an XC/Trail bike. It seems a lot like the Specialized Epic Marathon I rode for a bit. It weighs a touch less, feels similar out of the box, and has similar angles. Biggest difference is in bottom bracket height. Makes me want a dropper post. In fact, this bike really calls out for one, in my mind.

Next up for the tubeless conversion? By-Tor the Titanium Mukluk. Yup. Gotta do it because I'm taking it to Texas soon. That and a set of wheels I just built up, and re-charging some older wheels. Yeah. It must be Spring time or something!

Time to move ahead and get ready to roll.

Moving Ahead

Well, with the disappointment in missing CIRREM I figured I had better get busy and make the most of the extra time on my hands. But before we get to that, here is something I wanted to show...

I would have rather shown this covered in the grit from CIRREM roads, but here is the Orange Crush with my 42mm IRC tires and Planet Bike fenders that I stuck on it for the mucky-muck that was predicted.

I did initially try the fenders with the Bontrager XR-1's, but besides not being wide enough, there really wasn't any room to fit them anyway. So, I knew the IRC tires would motor me through the muck, and they have much better tread for that sort of thing anyway. They feature some side lugs that remind me of tractor lugs. They also have a pretty stiff casing. I rode the bike briefly on Sunday with 40psi in the tires, and it looked and felt like I had 55psi in there.

I used these tires when the bike was a single speed last year, so they do well on gravel too. I may leave them on there until something better, (Clement MSO), comes along. The fenders will stay for now as well. I figure it can't hurt anything and I went to all the trouble of putting them on there after all. If I like them, I may opt for some fancy-schmancy aluminum ones, or something.

I need to get a few more rides on the Retroshift set up before I render my final verdict on these. I have learned a trick or two in how to shift them, and I also have found that the shifters allow for unique hand placements on the hoods/levers. The cables don't get in the way at all, by the way. I know some folks were wondering about that.

I did think that if you run a handle bar bag, these shifters might work better. Maybe not for a huge touring bar bag, but smaller bags or rolls should fit just right even with the cables where they are. On a down tube cabled bike, it would even be better.

I spent a big chunk of time dialing in this new Titus Rockstar. It's the second generation of this frame, which I was mentioning Friday. Well, I got to tinkering with the wheels and setting them up tubeless.

I went with the "MG" formula, which is just really a notch above anything else out there. It and the fit of the Rubena Scylla tires on the Crank Brothers rims seems to be all a match made in heaven, because I think it ranks right up there with one of the easiest non-Bontrager set ups I've done.

The bike is billed as an XC/Trail bike. It seems a lot like the Specialized Epic Marathon I rode for a bit. It weighs a touch less, feels similar out of the box, and has similar angles. Biggest difference is in bottom bracket height. Makes me want a dropper post. In fact, this bike really calls out for one, in my mind.

Next up for the tubeless conversion? By-Tor the Titanium Mukluk. Yup. Gotta do it because I'm taking it to Texas soon. That and a set of wheels I just built up, and re-charging some older wheels. Yeah. It must be Spring time or something!

Time to move ahead and get ready to roll.

Friday News And Views

CIRREM rig, for better or worse...

Snow! Yes, it snowed again, but ya know......it is still February and all. It's just that it was all looking so good, so dry, and the Orange Crush would have been the perfect rig for the 62 mile CIRREM race. Now I probably should be bringing By-Tor The Titanium Mukluk instead, but I guess I'm going to stick to my guns. Peanut butter roads or no.

Besides, it is all for testing! I just need to get out there in something mucky and dirty to see if these Retroshift shifters are all they are cracked up to be. (You can read about the initial install and thoughts here.)

And it looks as though I'll be getting my wish. The course has been rained on, snowed on, and will have had some melting on it before the event tomorrow. Then it will be sunny and over the freezing mark, so you know it's going to be a big ol' mess out there! I suspect I'll be sacrificing my drive train and bottom bracket at the very least. Oh well! I've got a month to get it all back in order before the Renegade Gents race April 7th.

At least it should be warmer on Saturday than it was last year when I about froze my left foot off. Hopefully I'll just be warm and dirty this time. (Wait.......that didn't come out quite right!)
                                                                                                                                                                                          

Kinda like this, only with wheels and stuff...

Like A Rock (star): Okay, here's a frame that is supposed to be hitting the ground here today, only it will have decals and components bolted to it!

Ya know.....kinda like one of them bicycle thingies! Right then...

Seriously, a Titus Rockstar is supposed to be on a truck to me today for a review on Twenty Nine Inches.  I've no clear idea of exactly what Titus saw fit to bolt onto this rig, so it should be fun cracking open the box when it arrives. I only know a few bits are SRAM and the wheels are pretty blingy, but I'll save all the suspense for next week on TNI. 

A couple odd things about this Titus. First- the model name. I remember when it first came out there were a lot of groans about the name "Rockstar". Well, I guess as far as I am concerned, maybe it's a bit pretentious, but I don't know that it is that big of a deal. I just know some folks were really turned off by the name. That matters too, by the way, because sometimes you buy a bike, or not, based on the name to some degree. (Really. I mean, I knew I would buy a Karate Monkey, just for the awesome name.)

Then there is the carbon rear swing arm and aluminum front triangle. Usually it goes the other way around, but Titus has gotten it backwards, or they got it absolutely right. We'll see, but no one else is really doing this on 29"ers. It's a "Horst Link" sort of deal as well, which should be okay. Otherwise, it seems a lot like a Salsa Cycles Spearfish, at least at a glance. I know someone who has ridden one or two of those besides myself, so maybe I can get a hand with how they compare. (You listening Captain?)

Seems like thre used to be a mid-90's company that did a carbon rear ended full suspension bike with an aluminum front triangle. I was thinking Dagger, or Battle. (Don't even say Cannondale. Those were two wheeled insects, not bicycles!)

Anyway, expect a full on CIRREM report soon with whatever else happens this weekend coming your way Monday at the latest. have a great weekend and have fun!

Friday News And Views

CIRREM rig, for better or worse...

Snow! Yes, it snowed again, but ya know......it is still February and all. It's just that it was all looking so good, so dry, and the Orange Crush would have been the perfect rig for the 62 mile CIRREM race. Now I probably should be bringing By-Tor The Titanium Mukluk instead, but I guess I'm going to stick to my guns. Peanut butter roads or no.

Besides, it is all for testing! I just need to get out there in something mucky and dirty to see if these Retroshift shifters are all they are cracked up to be. (You can read about the initial install and thoughts here.)

And it looks as though I'll be getting my wish. The course has been rained on, snowed on, and will have had some melting on it before the event tomorrow. Then it will be sunny and over the freezing mark, so you know it's going to be a big ol' mess out there! I suspect I'll be sacrificing my drive train and bottom bracket at the very least. Oh well! I've got a month to get it all back in order before the Renegade Gents race April 7th.

At least it should be warmer on Saturday than it was last year when I about froze my left foot off. Hopefully I'll just be warm and dirty this time. (Wait.......that didn't come out quite right!)
                                                                                                                                                                                          

Kinda like this, only with wheels and stuff...

Like A Rock (star): Okay, here's a frame that is supposed to be hitting the ground here today, only it will have decals and components bolted to it!

Ya know.....kinda like one of them bicycle thingies! Right then...

Seriously, a Titus Rockstar is supposed to be on a truck to me today for a review on Twenty Nine Inches.  I've no clear idea of exactly what Titus saw fit to bolt onto this rig, so it should be fun cracking open the box when it arrives. I only know a few bits are SRAM and the wheels are pretty blingy, but I'll save all the suspense for next week on TNI. 

A couple odd things about this Titus. First- the model name. I remember when it first came out there were a lot of groans about the name "Rockstar". Well, I guess as far as I am concerned, maybe it's a bit pretentious, but I don't know that it is that big of a deal. I just know some folks were really turned off by the name. That matters too, by the way, because sometimes you buy a bike, or not, based on the name to some degree. (Really. I mean, I knew I would buy a Karate Monkey, just for the awesome name.)

Then there is the carbon rear swing arm and aluminum front triangle. Usually it goes the other way around, but Titus has gotten it backwards, or they got it absolutely right. We'll see, but no one else is really doing this on 29"ers. It's a "Horst Link" sort of deal as well, which should be okay. Otherwise, it seems a lot like a Salsa Cycles Spearfish, at least at a glance. I know someone who has ridden one or two of those besides myself, so maybe I can get a hand with how they compare. (You listening Captain?)

Seems like thre used to be a mid-90's company that did a carbon rear ended full suspension bike with an aluminum front triangle. I was thinking Dagger, or Battle. (Don't even say Cannondale. Those were two wheeled insects, not bicycles!)

Anyway, expect a full on CIRREM report soon with whatever else happens this weekend coming your way Monday at the latest. have a great weekend and have fun!