Country Views: Mush-Mush!

Saturday early afternoon there was still significant amounts of snow on the bike trail.

Saturday was supposed to be a decently warm, low wind day. So, I earmarked it earlier on last week as a training ride day for the upcoming Gent's Race. My goal, for my out-of-shapeness, was at least 30 miles, or about half the distance I'd have to ride at the Gent's Race.

Then they kept lowering the expected temperatures and on Friday they were talking about the probability of snow. Up to 2-3"s of the stuff! Bah! I decided this ride had to happen no matter what. So, Saturday looked decent in the morning, but it was chilly. Lower 20"s but then by around noon it was supposed to get up above 30°F and I figured that was good enough. Low winds from the Southeast wouldn't affect the way it felt too badly. I left 'fore noon and headed South to the "usual roads".

I decided not to affix the damnable GPS device to the bike. Sometimes computers and gizmos just get in the way, with me they do anyway, and I wasn't in the mood for more "data". All I needed to do was ride a bicycle and go reasonably fast for 30 plus miles. Do I really need a computer to help me with that? I don't think so. A GPS track and more things to distract me on the ride wasn't fitting in with my needs. Mileage for the year? Pffft! Nobody is going to give a rip about my mileage but my ego. I decided not to feed it. Besides, counting miles is fairly easy in Iowa, and it keeps me sharp.

This was as bright as it got during my ride- which isn't very bright!

Before my ride I wasn't feeling very "right" and I was a bit concerned that this ride would not be successful due to that, but as I got past the snowy bits on the Sergeant Road bike trail and on to good ol' Aker Road, those feelings subsided until I actually felt quite good. The road was okay. Mushy on the sides where there was snow melting, but the two-track left by car and truck traffic was solid and dry. I was rolling along very smoothly and at a decent clip.

Interestingly, all this fixed gear commuting had me expecting back pressure on the pedals when I let off on the power a bit, and coasting was......weird. I almost had to remind myself that I didn't have to fear not pedaling a few times. Now watch, when I go back to the commuter bike this week I'll forget I cannot coast again!

Halfway rest stop for gels, drinks, and shaking off the muck build up!

Things were clicking off really well until I passed the intersection with Quarry Road and Aker Road. South of there the gravel had patchy wet spots that were building up goo on my tires. Then after another mile it got positively mushy. I had to slow it way down so I might have a chance to catch my rear derailleur if it got jammed with muck and started rotating backward around the cassette which would eventually shear it off. The fenders were packed in, mud was shedding off the back tire and flinging in the air. Pedaling was.......well you can imagine. Laborious. Even with the wide 650B X 47 tires, I was cutting a groove into the roadway.

At Tama Road I reached my minimum halfway distance and Aker Road South of there looked worse than where I had been. I decided to stop, shake off as much muck as I could, drink, take in a couple gels, and go right back the way I came for a mile. Then I figured on going Eastward a mile to Beck Road and back North on that for four miles.

Beck Road was almost my undoing.

Beck Road is hillier than Aker, but I figured it would still get better as I went North, just like Aker was better that way. However; I failed to factor in that Beck Road gets almost zero traffic, so there wasn't the packing in, nor was there the lack of snow as well. Beck Road was, for all intents and purposes, my absolute worst choice. Mush, mud, and ice in places was making the going slow, but what was worse was how my drive train was starting to "act up". Jumping chain, noises, and I could feel the derailleur start to want to wrap up. Not good!

The final straw was cresting a hill where I saw what looked like a shovel full of wet, gritty gravel shoot out from under my front fender, and then the rear wheel was surfing so badly the entire bike was weaving uncontrollably down the slope. I had experienced bikes doing this on muddy mountain bike courses, and the next stop, usually, on that train of events is hitting the deck. I was off the bike and walking as soon as I could slow down to a stop.

I found a fence, rickety and barely standing, with wadded up balls of wire near it representing what must have once been a barbed wire fence at one point in history. I leaned my bike up against this mean structure and started cleaning off the muck and mire from the derailleur jockey wheel. Then I used that good ol' DuMonde Tech to lubricate the dry, crusty chain. I bounced the bike several times to shake off the grunge and then I gingerly pedaled off to the "T" intersection with Petrie Road.

Fortunately, there was a wide swath of untrodden snow on the West side of the roadway which I could ride on swiftly. Sure, there was a bit of resistance, but the ground underneath was still frozen and the going was safer and far easier. Petrie Road was good, and then once I was back on to Aker it was "home free".

That section on Beck Road was about as bad as it gets without the road being a Level B. I was so surprised I made it out of that four mile section without wrecking something and having to call in for assistance. My decision to jump off and walk a bit was a judicious one and having the tools and lube along to take care of my dilemma was a good thing. I don't always need all that stuff, but when I do, it saves the ride!

It looks like I got splattered by a cement mixer!

So, the ride was a success after all. I got in over 30 miles and I felt pretty good afterward, despite having a terrible time staying awake later in the day. Now with better weather, Daylight Savings Time initiated, and not a ton of obligations this week, I might sneak in a couple after work gravel rides. More time in the saddle is needed ASAP!

Oh yeah, and the Robins have invaded big time here. I saw them all over Saturday. Red Wing Blackbirds are starting to stake out nesting spots, and Spring will be starting to get things greener from this point on. I cannot wait!

Country Views: Mush-Mush!

Saturday early afternoon there was still significant amounts of snow on the bike trail.

Saturday was supposed to be a decently warm, low wind day. So, I earmarked it earlier on last week as a training ride day for the upcoming Gent's Race. My goal, for my out-of-shapeness, was at least 30 miles, or about half the distance I'd have to ride at the Gent's Race.

Then they kept lowering the expected temperatures and on Friday they were talking about the probability of snow. Up to 2-3"s of the stuff! Bah! I decided this ride had to happen no matter what. So, Saturday looked decent in the morning, but it was chilly. Lower 20"s but then by around noon it was supposed to get up above 30°F and I figured that was good enough. Low winds from the Southeast wouldn't affect the way it felt too badly. I left 'fore noon and headed South to the "usual roads".

I decided not to affix the damnable GPS device to the bike. Sometimes computers and gizmos just get in the way, with me they do anyway, and I wasn't in the mood for more "data". All I needed to do was ride a bicycle and go reasonably fast for 30 plus miles. Do I really need a computer to help me with that? I don't think so. A GPS track and more things to distract me on the ride wasn't fitting in with my needs. Mileage for the year? Pffft! Nobody is going to give a rip about my mileage but my ego. I decided not to feed it. Besides, counting miles is fairly easy in Iowa, and it keeps me sharp.

This was as bright as it got during my ride- which isn't very bright!

Before my ride I wasn't feeling very "right" and I was a bit concerned that this ride would not be successful due to that, but as I got past the snowy bits on the Sergeant Road bike trail and on to good ol' Aker Road, those feelings subsided until I actually felt quite good. The road was okay. Mushy on the sides where there was snow melting, but the two-track left by car and truck traffic was solid and dry. I was rolling along very smoothly and at a decent clip.

Interestingly, all this fixed gear commuting had me expecting back pressure on the pedals when I let off on the power a bit, and coasting was......weird. I almost had to remind myself that I didn't have to fear not pedaling a few times. Now watch, when I go back to the commuter bike this week I'll forget I cannot coast again!

Halfway rest stop for gels, drinks, and shaking off the muck build up!

Things were clicking off really well until I passed the intersection with Quarry Road and Aker Road. South of there the gravel had patchy wet spots that were building up goo on my tires. Then after another mile it got positively mushy. I had to slow it way down so I might have a chance to catch my rear derailleur if it got jammed with muck and started rotating backward around the cassette which would eventually shear it off. The fenders were packed in, mud was shedding off the back tire and flinging in the air. Pedaling was.......well you can imagine. Laborious. Even with the wide 650B X 47 tires, I was cutting a groove into the roadway.

At Tama Road I reached my minimum halfway distance and Aker Road South of there looked worse than where I had been. I decided to stop, shake off as much muck as I could, drink, take in a couple gels, and go right back the way I came for a mile. Then I figured on going Eastward a mile to Beck Road and back North on that for four miles.

Beck Road was almost my undoing.

Beck Road is hillier than Aker, but I figured it would still get better as I went North, just like Aker was better that way. However; I failed to factor in that Beck Road gets almost zero traffic, so there wasn't the packing in, nor was there the lack of snow as well. Beck Road was, for all intents and purposes, my absolute worst choice. Mush, mud, and ice in places was making the going slow, but what was worse was how my drive train was starting to "act up". Jumping chain, noises, and I could feel the derailleur start to want to wrap up. Not good!

The final straw was cresting a hill where I saw what looked like a shovel full of wet, gritty gravel shoot out from under my front fender, and then the rear wheel was surfing so badly the entire bike was weaving uncontrollably down the slope. I had experienced bikes doing this on muddy mountain bike courses, and the next stop, usually, on that train of events is hitting the deck. I was off the bike and walking as soon as I could slow down to a stop.

I found a fence, rickety and barely standing, with wadded up balls of wire near it representing what must have once been a barbed wire fence at one point in history. I leaned my bike up against this mean structure and started cleaning off the muck and mire from the derailleur jockey wheel. Then I used that good ol' DuMonde Tech to lubricate the dry, crusty chain. I bounced the bike several times to shake off the grunge and then I gingerly pedaled off to the "T" intersection with Petrie Road.

Fortunately, there was a wide swath of untrodden snow on the West side of the roadway which I could ride on swiftly. Sure, there was a bit of resistance, but the ground underneath was still frozen and the going was safer and far easier. Petrie Road was good, and then once I was back on to Aker it was "home free".

That section on Beck Road was about as bad as it gets without the road being a Level B. I was so surprised I made it out of that four mile section without wrecking something and having to call in for assistance. My decision to jump off and walk a bit was a judicious one and having the tools and lube along to take care of my dilemma was a good thing. I don't always need all that stuff, but when I do, it saves the ride!

It looks like I got splattered by a cement mixer!

So, the ride was a success after all. I got in over 30 miles and I felt pretty good afterward, despite having a terrible time staying awake later in the day. Now with better weather, Daylight Savings Time initiated, and not a ton of obligations this week, I might sneak in a couple after work gravel rides. More time in the saddle is needed ASAP!

Oh yeah, and the Robins have invaded big time here. I saw them all over Saturday. Red Wing Blackbirds are starting to stake out nesting spots, and Spring will be starting to get things greener from this point on. I cannot wait!

Bikes Of 2017: Raleigh Tamland 2

It is that time of year when I start reviewing the bikes that got me through 2017. Many of these bikes have been tweaked and changed so I will talk about that and why they were important to me this past year.

Yep, another familiar face here. The Raleigh Tamland 2 has been a good rig for me over the years. I was amused recently when one of you commented here that the only thing original to the bike anymore is the frame and fork. Well, you could be forgiven for thinking as much, but while that is close, it isn't quite the case.

Just for the record, the frame, fork, head set, bottom bracket, crankset, seat post, and rear derailleur are still stock on this bike. That's not much, granted, but it is a fair amount of the original build! I still have the wheels and I still have the original brakes. I still have the original saddle also.

Speaking of saddles....I finally got what I needed on there after fiddling around with other saddles for a couple of years. The WTB Pure, (Pure V originally), is the bomb for my behind. Love that saddle. Now that this conundrum has been solved, I don't really need anything else different here.

Changes recently have been the Gevenalle HYDRAULIC brake system and the Ritchey Venturemax bar. These items were added as test items for review on RidingGravel.com and have been so good they are staying on long term. The brakes also changed up my shifting to the excellent Gevenalle system which also includes the Burd front derailleur. The shifting is so light and precise it is uncanny, and that system is nearly indestructible.

Finally the tires and wheels. I built up these White Industries/WTB i25 KOM wheels last year and these have been awesome wheels. I should build up another set just because. Anyway, I got to test these Trans Iowa inspired treads from WTB, the Resolutes, and they are fantastic on this bike.

Bikes Of 2017: Raleigh Tamland 2

It is that time of year when I start reviewing the bikes that got me through 2017. Many of these bikes have been tweaked and changed so I will talk about that and why they were important to me this past year.

Yep, another familiar face here. The Raleigh Tamland 2 has been a good rig for me over the years. I was amused recently when one of you commented here that the only thing original to the bike anymore is the frame and fork. Well, you could be forgiven for thinking as much, but while that is close, it isn't quite the case.

Just for the record, the frame, fork, head set, bottom bracket, crankset, seat post, and rear derailleur are still stock on this bike. That's not much, granted, but it is a fair amount of the original build! I still have the wheels and I still have the original brakes. I still have the original saddle also.

Speaking of saddles....I finally got what I needed on there after fiddling around with other saddles for a couple of years. The WTB Pure, (Pure V originally), is the bomb for my behind. Love that saddle. Now that this conundrum has been solved, I don't really need anything else different here.

Changes recently have been the Gevenalle HYDRAULIC brake system and the Ritchey Venturemax bar. These items were added as test items for review on RidingGravel.com and have been so good they are staying on long term. The brakes also changed up my shifting to the excellent Gevenalle system which also includes the Burd front derailleur. The shifting is so light and precise it is uncanny, and that system is nearly indestructible.

Finally the tires and wheels. I built up these White Industries/WTB i25 KOM wheels last year and these have been awesome wheels. I should build up another set just because. Anyway, I got to test these Trans Iowa inspired treads from WTB, the Resolutes, and they are fantastic on this bike.

Gravel Worlds 2017; Gear Review

Coming up over the top of a hill at GW2017: Image by Kyle Hansen

The 2017 Gravel Worlds attempt ended at Mile 116 after my intestinal tract/stomach decided it wasn't going to allow anything to pass. Ya know? "You shall not pass!!" Ha ha! Yeah........

Anyway..........

The ride did not suffer from any of my other choices though. I thought I would comment a bit on how my choices stood the test here in case anyone was wondering about what I used. So, a brief comment or three regarding some of the highlights. I will not say anything about the Tamland, because that bike is well documented here and the reasons why it works are discussed in other posts.

Suspended Bits: I guess the big thing here for me was my experience from 2016's successful Gravel Worlds ride.  The Body Float seat post did wonders to smooth out that famous washboard that the gravel roads around Lincoln are known for. This year I added the Redshift Sports ShockStop Stem as another weapon against those washboard sections. It worked great. I had a super smooth experience. One example....

Early on when it was still dark and I could not discern where the washboard was, I steered into a section of it on a fast downhill. My calf muscles were shaking violently, but the rest of my body, being shielded by the suspended contact points, was calm. That was all the proof I needed that the idea to use the stem and seat post was justified.

One negative aspect- The frequency at which I had to absorb energy with my neck was changed from the higher frequency rattling to a much lower one. The bobbing of the stem was barely noticeable, but that motion caused my upper shoulders and the base of my neck to have to try and keep my head level through those oscillations. Think how a bobble head toy works. Anyway, that resulted in a post event soreness in the upper back/neck area that was pretty painful. Something to consider for later.

Another image of me captured by Kyle Hansen

Ritchey VentureMax Bar: This was a risk, but after a couple of test rides and a successful tweak, that bar made sense to me. I gave it a pretty glowing review on RidingGravel.com, so I won't get into details here. I will say that the Bio-bend bit wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. That was a big surprise.

The VentureMax was designed by someone, or group of folks, that "gets it" when it comes to flared drop bars. The brake lever must be reachable from the drop position, and Ritchey got that right. The drop is shallow, again, spot on. The radius of the drop is also spot on. Every critical dimension was nailed in this design. The flare and sweep things are an area, in my opinion, where there is some latitude in choices. The only way that I think the VentureMax could be improved upon is if Ritchey would go with a 31.8mm diameter across the entire bar top, ala the Luxy Bar and the new Thompson flared  drop bar. Otherwise, two thumbs up here.

Saddle: I waffled between going with the WTB Pure V or a Brooks Cambium. I really like both saddles, but in the end I opted for the Pure V. No regrets and I don't remember hating on the saddle at any point during my 11 plus hours of ride time. That may be a factor that was influenced to a great degree by the Body Float post though. I have to try that Brooks saddle out on a long, multi-hour ride to compare. Like a century ride at the least.

Me again! Image by Luke Meduna

Resolute Tires: I just posted up a review on these at RidingGravel.com as well, so again- I won't go on and on here about them. I will add that the sandier, deeper gravel at Gravel Worlds was no match for these tires. They cut right through and held a line very well.

The tires are some of the best you can get for any gravel I've tried them on so far. They aren't coming off these wheels anytime soon, I'll say that much.

Wearables: I wore the Riding Gravel kit made by Podiumwear. I used my Bontrager base layer under the jersey and I was very comfortable throughout the event. I never got overheated, despite what the guy at the Casey's thought in Bennet. I was pretty happy with the performance of the pad as well. Long wool socks made of a thinner wool and the always reliable Shimano 3 strap mtb shoes were on the feet. On the head I had my cycling hat I got at the 1996 Chequamegon 40 and my Bontrager helmet with Spy Optic amber lensed glasses. No issues whatsoever with anything I wore.

Conclusions: So, all the gear worked well. The nutrition was good, it just wasn't getting through. I have a plan to try for that in training for my next big event. More on that later. If I get that squared away, I think I'll be good to go. Questions or comments? Hit the comments section and I'll gladly answer those.

Gravel Worlds 2017; Gear Review

Coming up over the top of a hill at GW2017: Image by Kyle Hansen

The 2017 Gravel Worlds attempt ended at Mile 116 after my intestinal tract/stomach decided it wasn't going to allow anything to pass. Ya know? "You shall not pass!!" Ha ha! Yeah........

Anyway..........

The ride did not suffer from any of my other choices though. I thought I would comment a bit on how my choices stood the test here in case anyone was wondering about what I used. So, a brief comment or three regarding some of the highlights. I will not say anything about the Tamland, because that bike is well documented here and the reasons why it works are discussed in other posts.

Suspended Bits: I guess the big thing here for me was my experience from 2016's successful Gravel Worlds ride.  The Body Float seat post did wonders to smooth out that famous washboard that the gravel roads around Lincoln are known for. This year I added the Redshift Sports ShockStop Stem as another weapon against those washboard sections. It worked great. I had a super smooth experience. One example....

Early on when it was still dark and I could not discern where the washboard was, I steered into a section of it on a fast downhill. My calf muscles were shaking violently, but the rest of my body, being shielded by the suspended contact points, was calm. That was all the proof I needed that the idea to use the stem and seat post was justified.

One negative aspect- The frequency at which I had to absorb energy with my neck was changed from the higher frequency rattling to a much lower one. The bobbing of the stem was barely noticeable, but that motion caused my upper shoulders and the base of my neck to have to try and keep my head level through those oscillations. Think how a bobble head toy works. Anyway, that resulted in a post event soreness in the upper back/neck area that was pretty painful. Something to consider for later.

Another image of me captured by Kyle Hansen

Ritchey VentureMax Bar: This was a risk, but after a couple of test rides and a successful tweak, that bar made sense to me. I gave it a pretty glowing review on RidingGravel.com, so I won't get into details here. I will say that the Bio-bend bit wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. That was a big surprise.

The VentureMax was designed by someone, or group of folks, that "gets it" when it comes to flared drop bars. The brake lever must be reachable from the drop position, and Ritchey got that right. The drop is shallow, again, spot on. The radius of the drop is also spot on. Every critical dimension was nailed in this design. The flare and sweep things are an area, in my opinion, where there is some latitude in choices. The only way that I think the VentureMax could be improved upon is if Ritchey would go with a 31.8mm diameter across the entire bar top, ala the Luxy Bar and the new Thompson flared  drop bar. Otherwise, two thumbs up here.

Saddle: I waffled between going with the WTB Pure V or a Brooks Cambium. I really like both saddles, but in the end I opted for the Pure V. No regrets and I don't remember hating on the saddle at any point during my 11 plus hours of ride time. That may be a factor that was influenced to a great degree by the Body Float post though. I have to try that Brooks saddle out on a long, multi-hour ride to compare. Like a century ride at the least.

Me again! Image by Luke Meduna

Resolute Tires: I just posted up a review on these at RidingGravel.com as well, so again- I won't go on and on here about them. I will add that the sandier, deeper gravel at Gravel Worlds was no match for these tires. They cut right through and held a line very well.

The tires are some of the best you can get for any gravel I've tried them on so far. They aren't coming off these wheels anytime soon, I'll say that much.

Wearables: I wore the Riding Gravel kit made by Podiumwear. I used my Bontrager base layer under the jersey and I was very comfortable throughout the event. I never got overheated, despite what the guy at the Casey's thought in Bennet. I was pretty happy with the performance of the pad as well. Long wool socks made of a thinner wool and the always reliable Shimano 3 strap mtb shoes were on the feet. On the head I had my cycling hat I got at the 1996 Chequamegon 40 and my Bontrager helmet with Spy Optic amber lensed glasses. No issues whatsoever with anything I wore.

Conclusions: So, all the gear worked well. The nutrition was good, it just wasn't getting through. I have a plan to try for that in training for my next big event. More on that later. If I get that squared away, I think I'll be good to go. Questions or comments? Hit the comments section and I'll gladly answer those.

Friday News And Views

The Lauf "True Grit" gravel bike Image courtesy of Lauf.

Lauf Suspension Introduces A Gravel Bike:

I heard a story from last Spring's Dirty Kanza 200 about a ride one fellow was getting to be extricated from the course after DNF-ing. He was in a car with the Lauf Suspension company's owner. I heard nothing but good things about the man and his love for gravel events. So, it comes as no surprise to me that Lauf has a complete bike now on offer for gravel grinding.

Of course, it is carbon fiber, since it is aimed at racing, which is also cued by the saddle to bar drop you see here. It also features the second generation of the Grit gravel fork. 30mm of undamped travel are on tap here. There is one thing I really like about this bike and one thing I really do not like while there is another thing that I feel is just aesthetically wrong. (I bet you can guess the last one.)

I've been an advocate for slacker head angles and longer offsets for gravel bikes for years. Just as with mtb designs, this idea has a lot of merit for the rider doing lots of gravel travel. Lauf did use a slacker 70.5° head angle which I think is fantastic, but they stopped short of going long on the offset with a 47mm offset. I suppose they are using the slacker angle to account for a slight steepening of the head angle as the fork sinks into its travel.

I do not like the bottom bracket drop here which is right in line with Euro cyclo cross geometry at 65mm. In fact, for gravel bikes, that height is ridiculous. There really is no benefit to using a high bottom bracket for gravel bikes, and it takes away from stability at high speeds on looser gravel. I'll tell you something- I stop having interest in any bike sporting CX type BB height. It basically seems to me to be a nod to making this bike a possible CX bike choice for those buying in, but to my mind, it takes away a vital facet of stability which, in my opinion, cannot be compromised on. Your mileage may vary, but Lauf made a mistake here and the bike could have been so much better. Too bad.......

Besides, The Duke wouldn't cotton to a bike making compromises that is named "True Grit", now would he? I don't think so.

Gravel World's rig

Gettin' Ready For Worlds:

Ha! How pretentious does that sound? Like I deserve to be in a "worlds"of anything! Well, I cannot help that they call the event "Gravel Worlds", so there! They let me in, so I am going.

And.....I'm taking "Captain America". (Note- My daughter dubbed the bike thus, so I am going with it.) I've done a couple of modifications here which are note worthy. The first is adding the BodyFloat seat post from Cirrus Cycles. I used the same post on my Fargo last year to great effect. The washboard gravel they have down there around Lincoln is no match for this post.

I also added the Redshift Sports ShockStop stem to the Tamland. The stem should also reduce front end induced vibrations and over the course of 150 miles, I should feel fresher than I would without it. In my test run Thursday morning I was pretty happy with how smooth it felt. Together with the BodyFloat, the bike felt much calmer in rougher stuff that would normally have your arms shaking.

Finally, since the Tamland doesn't have an under the down tube bottle mount, I swapped over the B-Rad system from the Otso Warakin and this will allow me to have two easily reached bottles, a third on the seat tube, and one stashed inside the top tube bag. With all the chances at convenience store stops, and oasis stops, I should get by just fine with that amount of water on-board.

I'm choosing to run the excellent WTB Resolute tires for the event on my White Industries, WTB rimmed wheel set all tubeless, of course. I'll have 46T/36T X 11-36T gearing for plenty of low end and good high end ranges without running a wonky chain line. I also will be using the Ritchey Venturemax bar on this attempt at Gravel Worlds.

MONe Bikes El Continente

This Gets Me:

So, I have a few things in cycling that will always get my attention- Plate crown forks, fillet brazed construction, single speed capability, and drop bar specific, non-suspension corrected designs. I also have a fascination with 29+ wheels, as I think the possibilities of that wheel size are mostly misused and misunderstood by most companies that try to use them.

Well, I saw someone post this frame from a company called MONe Bikes on Facebook and I was like, "Dang it! There is a bike I can get behind! "  It is steel, fillet brazed, uses a plate crown fork, is a drop bar specific design with no provision for suspension, and can be set up single speed. Plus it is a 29+ wheeled rig.

Yep. I sure do like it!

Some Salsa Cycles honches asked me a couple years ago what I would do for a 10th anniversary Fargo. Well, had I seen that MONe Bikes El Continente back then, I would have just handed them the image and said, "Do that!" If I could persuade them to do it now, I would. But as the 2018 stuff will be released September 8th by Salsa, that probably will not happen. I doubt they have the hutzpah to just go with a non-sus corrected deign, for one thing, much less a specific 29+ rendering of a Fargo.

Maybe, (hopefully), I'll be wrong.

Have a great weekend and get some bicycling done!

Friday News And Views

The Lauf "True Grit" gravel bike Image courtesy of Lauf.

Lauf Suspension Introduces A Gravel Bike:

I heard a story from last Spring's Dirty Kanza 200 about a ride one fellow was getting to be extricated from the course after DNF-ing. He was in a car with the Lauf Suspension company's owner. I heard nothing but good things about the man and his love for gravel events. So, it comes as no surprise to me that Lauf has a complete bike now on offer for gravel grinding.

Of course, it is carbon fiber, since it is aimed at racing, which is also cued by the saddle to bar drop you see here. It also features the second generation of the Grit gravel fork. 30mm of undamped travel are on tap here. There is one thing I really like about this bike and one thing I really do not like while there is another thing that I feel is just aesthetically wrong. (I bet you can guess the last one.)

I've been an advocate for slacker head angles and longer offsets for gravel bikes for years. Just as with mtb designs, this idea has a lot of merit for the rider doing lots of gravel travel. Lauf did use a slacker 70.5° head angle which I think is fantastic, but they stopped short of going long on the offset with a 47mm offset. I suppose they are using the slacker angle to account for a slight steepening of the head angle as the fork sinks into its travel.

I do not like the bottom bracket drop here which is right in line with Euro cyclo cross geometry at 65mm. In fact, for gravel bikes, that height is ridiculous. There really is no benefit to using a high bottom bracket for gravel bikes, and it takes away from stability at high speeds on looser gravel. I'll tell you something- I stop having interest in any bike sporting CX type BB height. It basically seems to me to be a nod to making this bike a possible CX bike choice for those buying in, but to my mind, it takes away a vital facet of stability which, in my opinion, cannot be compromised on. Your mileage may vary, but Lauf made a mistake here and the bike could have been so much better. Too bad.......

Besides, The Duke wouldn't cotton to a bike making compromises that is named "True Grit", now would he? I don't think so.

Gravel World's rig

Gettin' Ready For Worlds:

Ha! How pretentious does that sound? Like I deserve to be in a "worlds"of anything! Well, I cannot help that they call the event "Gravel Worlds", so there! They let me in, so I am going.

And.....I'm taking "Captain America". (Note- My daughter dubbed the bike thus, so I am going with it.) I've done a couple of modifications here which are note worthy. The first is adding the BodyFloat seat post from Cirrus Cycles. I used the same post on my Fargo last year to great effect. The washboard gravel they have down there around Lincoln is no match for this post.

I also added the Redshift Sports ShockStop stem to the Tamland. The stem should also reduce front end induced vibrations and over the course of 150 miles, I should feel fresher than I would without it. In my test run Thursday morning I was pretty happy with how smooth it felt. Together with the BodyFloat, the bike felt much calmer in rougher stuff that would normally have your arms shaking.

Finally, since the Tamland doesn't have an under the down tube bottle mount, I swapped over the B-Rad system from the Otso Warakin and this will allow me to have two easily reached bottles, a third on the seat tube, and one stashed inside the top tube bag. With all the chances at convenience store stops, and oasis stops, I should get by just fine with that amount of water on-board.

I'm choosing to run the excellent WTB Resolute tires for the event on my White Industries, WTB rimmed wheel set all tubeless, of course. I'll have 46T/36T X 11-36T gearing for plenty of low end and good high end ranges without running a wonky chain line. I also will be using the Ritchey Venturemax bar on this attempt at Gravel Worlds.

MONe Bikes El Continente

This Gets Me:

So, I have a few things in cycling that will always get my attention- Plate crown forks, fillet brazed construction, single speed capability, and drop bar specific, non-suspension corrected designs. I also have a fascination with 29+ wheels, as I think the possibilities of that wheel size are mostly misused and misunderstood by most companies that try to use them.

Well, I saw someone post this frame from a company called MONe Bikes on Facebook and I was like, "Dang it! There is a bike I can get behind! "  It is steel, fillet brazed, uses a plate crown fork, is a drop bar specific design with no provision for suspension, and can be set up single speed. Plus it is a 29+ wheeled rig.

Yep. I sure do like it!

Some Salsa Cycles honches asked me a couple years ago what I would do for a 10th anniversary Fargo. Well, had I seen that MONe Bikes El Continente back then, I would have just handed them the image and said, "Do that!" If I could persuade them to do it now, I would. But as the 2018 stuff will be released September 8th by Salsa, that probably will not happen. I doubt they have the hutzpah to just go with a non-sus corrected deign, for one thing, much less a specific 29+ rendering of a Fargo.

Maybe, (hopefully), I'll be wrong.

Have a great weekend and get some bicycling done!