Minus Ten Review 2009-29

In the "Whatever Happened To This?" files.

Ten years ago this week on the blog here I was sharing more 29"er news. There was news of a long travel bike by Niner Bikes dubbed the WFO 9, which was the precursor to the 150-170mm travel enduro style trail bike 29"ers of today. Keep in mind that even in 2009 people were saying long travel like this was always going to be the realm of 26" wheeled bicycles. Doing this with 29"er wheels was "stupid", "dumb", and other things unsuitable to put on the blog here.

Where are they who said these things now? Probably riding 29"ers, that's where.

Speaking of "where are they now", I also showed a sneak peek of a proposed livery for a Raleigh XXIX 29" single speed bike. Brian Fournes, the marketing honch for the brand back in those days, was fearless when it came to ideas to liven up the Raleigh line of bikes. This was back before Raleigh became the hollow, online retailer of today. Back then, Raleigh was enjoying some resurgence as a second tier brand and had some relevant mountain bikes for the first time in well over a decade.

Anyway, he forwarded this to me and I was very excited that it might become available in a very limited edition form. Now, I was , and still am, over-loaded with single speed 29"ers, but for this, I would have made room. And why not? I live in the town that put John Deere on the map in terms of farm tractor machines. But, as you probably have guessed by now, there was a visitation from some legal department in letter form and that was that.

Still, I gotta wonder where this ended up.

Also from ten years ago. Just look at that view! GTDRI course.

The Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational was run this weekend ten years ago as well. I had a successful ride and about seven or eight folks joined me.

I've said it before, and I still believe it- This is by far the most beautiful gravel course in Iowa that I've ever seen or heard about. At least from start to finish, and it is over 100 miles in length.

The views anywhere along this route are often beautiful, and in many spots they are jaw-droppingly stunning. I need to go try this course out during Fall colors season sometime, because I bet it would be even better, if that is possible.

Oh yeah, and it ranks as one of the toughest courses I've ever ridden as well. LOTS of climbing. I did not ever run my own GPS device on this route, but riders that did told me there are lots of 10+% grades and several in the 12-15% range. There is one grade that maxed out at 18%, according to what I've been told. It's such a tough climb that a local well drilling concern has to use a Caterpillar tractor to pull its rig up that particular grade. Trucks cannot do it because they lose traction on the gravel!

I also have a sort of reticence to riding here again though, as it is the course I was struck by a drunk driver on. I still deal with some physical issues from that impact to this day. So, there is that bad memory to this course for me as well.

Minus Ten Review 2009-29

In the "Whatever Happened To This?" files.

Ten years ago this week on the blog here I was sharing more 29"er news. There was news of a long travel bike by Niner Bikes dubbed the WFO 9, which was the precursor to the 150-170mm travel enduro style trail bike 29"ers of today. Keep in mind that even in 2009 people were saying long travel like this was always going to be the realm of 26" wheeled bicycles. Doing this with 29"er wheels was "stupid", "dumb", and other things unsuitable to put on the blog here.

Where are they who said these things now? Probably riding 29"ers, that's where.

Speaking of "where are they now", I also showed a sneak peek of a proposed livery for a Raleigh XXIX 29" single speed bike. Brian Fournes, the marketing honch for the brand back in those days, was fearless when it came to ideas to liven up the Raleigh line of bikes. This was back before Raleigh became the hollow, online retailer of today. Back then, Raleigh was enjoying some resurgence as a second tier brand and had some relevant mountain bikes for the first time in well over a decade.

Anyway, he forwarded this to me and I was very excited that it might become available in a very limited edition form. Now, I was , and still am, over-loaded with single speed 29"ers, but for this, I would have made room. And why not? I live in the town that put John Deere on the map in terms of farm tractor machines. But, as you probably have guessed by now, there was a visitation from some legal department in letter form and that was that.

Still, I gotta wonder where this ended up.

Also from ten years ago. Just look at that view! GTDRI course.

The Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational was run this weekend ten years ago as well. I had a successful ride and about seven or eight folks joined me.

I've said it before, and I still believe it- This is by far the most beautiful gravel course in Iowa that I've ever seen or heard about. At least from start to finish, and it is over 100 miles in length.

The views anywhere along this route are often beautiful, and in many spots they are jaw-droppingly stunning. I need to go try this course out during Fall colors season sometime, because I bet it would be even better, if that is possible.

Oh yeah, and it ranks as one of the toughest courses I've ever ridden as well. LOTS of climbing. I did not ever run my own GPS device on this route, but riders that did told me there are lots of 10+% grades and several in the 12-15% range. There is one grade that maxed out at 18%, according to what I've been told. It's such a tough climb that a local well drilling concern has to use a Caterpillar tractor to pull its rig up that particular grade. Trucks cannot do it because they lose traction on the gravel!

I also have a sort of reticence to riding here again though, as it is the course I was struck by a drunk driver on. I still deal with some physical issues from that impact to this day. So, there is that bad memory to this course for me as well.

Minus Ten Review- 28

Huh...... The neighbor's privacy fence sure looked a lot nicer ten years ago!

Ten years ago this week on the blog I got this review set of wheels for Twenty Nine Inches. I noted when I researched this that I mentioned that only one set of tires were recommended to be used on these. 

One. Think about that.  

Now 29"er tires are a dime a dozen. Back then the selection could be recited from memory, the list was that short. These wheels were tubeless compatible as well, so the one set Mavic recommended, the Hutchinson Python, was actually a tubeless ready tire. So that was at least some progress. 

Ten years ago I also sold the Haro Mary I had received as "payment" for doing the Haro Mary catalog copy, which I had written the previous year. Like an idiot, I ordered a size medium, and that did not fit me at all. So, I sold it to a guy that moved to Kansas City and I never saw that bike again. I also, by this time, had probably sold my Raleigh XXIX single speed for similar reasons. I got a size medium. Lesson learned back then. I was a size Large in 29"er wheeled bicycles. 

I also noted something I had written ten years ago that relates to my "Views On Singletrack" post I wrote just last Wednesday. Here is a quote from that post entitled "Riding In The Jungle": 

 "Man! It's like riding in the jungle!"

That's Captain Bob's exclamation there from yesterday afternoons ride in the GW. (That's George Wyth State Park for you non-locals) Yeah, it's high summer in Iowa and the vegetation is at it's peak right about now. Tree branches full of leaves hanging down, slapping you in the face as you speed along. Weeds with itchy oily secretions making it burn! Nice thorny scratches across your shin bones. Yep! It's a jungle out there all right!

Things have changed a bit in ten years..........

Minus Ten Review- 28

Huh...... The neighbor's privacy fence sure looked a lot nicer ten years ago!

Ten years ago this week on the blog I got this review set of wheels for Twenty Nine Inches. I noted when I researched this that I mentioned that only one set of tires were recommended to be used on these. 

One. Think about that.  

Now 29"er tires are a dime a dozen. Back then the selection could be recited from memory, the list was that short. These wheels were tubeless compatible as well, so the one set Mavic recommended, the Hutchinson Python, was actually a tubeless ready tire. So that was at least some progress. 

Ten years ago I also sold the Haro Mary I had received as "payment" for doing the Haro Mary catalog copy, which I had written the previous year. Like an idiot, I ordered a size medium, and that did not fit me at all. So, I sold it to a guy that moved to Kansas City and I never saw that bike again. I also, by this time, had probably sold my Raleigh XXIX single speed for similar reasons. I got a size medium. Lesson learned back then. I was a size Large in 29"er wheeled bicycles. 

I also noted something I had written ten years ago that relates to my "Views On Singletrack" post I wrote just last Wednesday. Here is a quote from that post entitled "Riding In The Jungle": 

 "Man! It's like riding in the jungle!"

That's Captain Bob's exclamation there from yesterday afternoons ride in the GW. (That's George Wyth State Park for you non-locals) Yeah, it's high summer in Iowa and the vegetation is at it's peak right about now. Tree branches full of leaves hanging down, slapping you in the face as you speed along. Weeds with itchy oily secretions making it burn! Nice thorny scratches across your shin bones. Yep! It's a jungle out there all right!

Things have changed a bit in ten years..........

Minus Ten Review- 7

Karate Monkey in '07 "perfection mode".

On the blog ten years ago I had plenty of images! Hooray! I think the deal was that I was not well versed yet in how to get files uploaded on Blogger, so until I figured that out and was comfortable with that, I went a few times without images. From this point on though, things like that seem to be rare, if not non-existent.

Anyway, here is a shot of my Karate Monkey from February of '07 right after Planet Bike sent me some Cascadia fenders for 29"ers. I mounted those up on my Monkey, which as I posted earlier this week, was dialed to perfection at that point for gravel travel. You can see the Cooks Brothers crank set and the disc brake set up which I no longer am using on this bike.

I was deep into getting bikes ridden and components tested at this time. I was fiddling with the XXIX+G, which I had the good sense to have sent to me in a size Large. The medium XXIX single speed was a medium, and it didn't fit as well, so that bike already was languishing in the basement unridden and would eventually get sold off later in '07, I believe it was. The Haro Mary was also a medium, but seemed to fit a little better. So that was still in play yet and I had wheels and tires being tested on that bike. Plus I had other pet project bikes I was dealing with which included a vintage 650B Raleigh mountain bike.

Another interesting development was that I had tried some DuMonde Tech lube at this point based off of an experience I had with Mike Curiak, who was using that lube at Trans Iowa v1. Later on when I told the DuMonde Tech rep about that, he contacted Mr. Curiak who then, (according to the DuMonde Tech guy) denied that he had ever used the stuff, or at least he couldn't remember ever having used it. Whatever. I saw what I saw, and it influenced me to try it. By the way, it was as good then as it is now. You should try it out too.

Now those are some REAL wagon wheels! Image courtesy of Ben Witt

Then also on the blog ten years ago- I was forwarded an image of what I thought was, (and very well could be), the first 36 inch wheeled mountain bike. It was a collaboration between Mike Pofahl and Ben Witt. Ben owned and operated Milltown Cycles then and Mike Pofahl is a custom frame builder from Northfield Minnesota.

In this image there is also a Salsa Cycles El Mariachi 29"er. You can see how those 36" wheels really dwarf the 29"ers!

This is the same 36"er which Ben had painted a maroon color later on. (Note- It is in a raw, unpainted state in this image and remained that way for several years) This is the very same bike I had here for several months on loan from Ben to use. I mostly did commuter rides on it. Oddly enough, it never did draw any attention as I rode it. People hardly noticed that it had gargantuan hoops.

Weird that.

Anyway, this bike caused quite a stir, and Ben and Mike later on collaborated on another version of this bike with some big improvements in the design. I reckon this first one is the stone that kicked off the entire 36"er bikes for off road niche as it stands today. I don't think Ben and Mike get any credit at all for doing this and being innovators. They should be recognized as such, in my opinion.

Minus Ten Review- 7

Karate Monkey in '07 "perfection mode".

On the blog ten years ago I had plenty of images! Hooray! I think the deal was that I was not well versed yet in how to get files uploaded on Blogger, so until I figured that out and was comfortable with that, I went a few times without images. From this point on though, things like that seem to be rare, if not non-existent.

Anyway, here is a shot of my Karate Monkey from February of '07 right after Planet Bike sent me some Cascadia fenders for 29"ers. I mounted those up on my Monkey, which as I posted earlier this week, was dialed to perfection at that point for gravel travel. You can see the Cooks Brothers crank set and the disc brake set up which I no longer am using on this bike.

I was deep into getting bikes ridden and components tested at this time. I was fiddling with the XXIX+G, which I had the good sense to have sent to me in a size Large. The medium XXIX single speed was a medium, and it didn't fit as well, so that bike already was languishing in the basement unridden and would eventually get sold off later in '07, I believe it was. The Haro Mary was also a medium, but seemed to fit a little better. So that was still in play yet and I had wheels and tires being tested on that bike. Plus I had other pet project bikes I was dealing with which included a vintage 650B Raleigh mountain bike.

Another interesting development was that I had tried some DuMonde Tech lube at this point based off of an experience I had with Mike Curiak, who was using that lube at Trans Iowa v1. Later on when I told the DuMonde Tech rep about that, he contacted Mr. Curiak who then, (according to the DuMonde Tech guy) denied that he had ever used the stuff, or at least he couldn't remember ever having used it. Whatever. I saw what I saw, and it influenced me to try it. By the way, it was as good then as it is now. You should try it out too.

Now those are some REAL wagon wheels! Image courtesy of Ben Witt

Then also on the blog ten years ago- I was forwarded an image of what I thought was, (and very well could be), the first 36 inch wheeled mountain bike. It was a collaboration between Mike Pofahl and Ben Witt. Ben owned and operated Milltown Cycles then and Mike Pofahl is a custom frame builder from Northfield Minnesota.

In this image there is also a Salsa Cycles El Mariachi 29"er. You can see how those 36" wheels really dwarf the 29"ers!

This is the same 36"er which Ben had painted a maroon color later on. (Note- It is in a raw, unpainted state in this image and remained that way for several years) This is the very same bike I had here for several months on loan from Ben to use. I mostly did commuter rides on it. Oddly enough, it never did draw any attention as I rode it. People hardly noticed that it had gargantuan hoops.

Weird that.

Anyway, this bike caused quite a stir, and Ben and Mike later on collaborated on another version of this bike with some big improvements in the design. I reckon this first one is the stone that kicked off the entire 36"er bikes for off road niche as it stands today. I don't think Ben and Mike get any credit at all for doing this and being innovators. They should be recognized as such, in my opinion.

Minus Ten Review- 37

It sure was a purty bicycle!

Ten years ago on the blog here I was ranting about the short seat tube lengths of some 29"ers, especially my brand spankin' new 29"er from Raleigh. The thing was, there wasn't any good basis from which to draw on to figure out a  29"ers geometry yet. It was still being figured out back then.

Head tube angles were in flux yet, fork rake was about to be opened up for choices, and geometry wasn't completely understood yet in 2006. It was as if 29"ers were going through the same growing pains that 26"ers were going through in 1985.

So, it is no wonder then that brands and engineers at those brands did not understand 29"ers or how they were supposed to work. Think that's crazy? Well, consider that a 29"er with a 70° head angle in 2006 would have been considered to have ultra-slack geometry. Going back from 72° on the head angle back then was considered risky. Raleigh actually used the same frame from their XXIX rigid, non-suspended front fork model to build the XXIX+G bike which had a suspension fork. That bike had a "slack" head tube angle and wasn't a big hit when it came out since the rest of the bike did not really compliment what the longer suspension fork was bringing to the table.

I think 29"er geometry has really just come into its own. Consider head tube angles in the 65°- 68° range, which is pretty standard fare for trail bikes with 29" wheels these days. Even the mere suggestion of a sub-70° head angle in 2006 would have gotten you labelled as a loony bin worthy subject. There was no way that was ever going to happen! So, the bikes with 29"er wheels we have to choose from today are pretty incredible, I think.

Minus Ten Review- 37

It sure was a purty bicycle!

Ten years ago on the blog here I was ranting about the short seat tube lengths of some 29"ers, especially my brand spankin' new 29"er from Raleigh. The thing was, there wasn't any good basis from which to draw on to figure out a  29"ers geometry yet. It was still being figured out back then.

Head tube angles were in flux yet, fork rake was about to be opened up for choices, and geometry wasn't completely understood yet in 2006. It was as if 29"ers were going through the same growing pains that 26"ers were going through in 1985.

So, it is no wonder then that brands and engineers at those brands did not understand 29"ers or how they were supposed to work. Think that's crazy? Well, consider that a 29"er with a 70° head angle in 2006 would have been considered to have ultra-slack geometry. Going back from 72° on the head angle back then was considered risky. Raleigh actually used the same frame from their XXIX rigid, non-suspended front fork model to build the XXIX+G bike which had a suspension fork. That bike had a "slack" head tube angle and wasn't a big hit when it came out since the rest of the bike did not really compliment what the longer suspension fork was bringing to the table.

I think 29"er geometry has really just come into its own. Consider head tube angles in the 65°- 68° range, which is pretty standard fare for trail bikes with 29" wheels these days. Even the mere suggestion of a sub-70° head angle in 2006 would have gotten you labelled as a loony bin worthy subject. There was no way that was ever going to happen! So, the bikes with 29"er wheels we have to choose from today are pretty incredible, I think.

Minus Ten Review- 36

My XXIX which I received in September '06

Ten years ago on the blog here was a pivotal time in my life. I announced that I was going to Interbike. It would be my first trip to the show in ten years. The way it all went down was not revealed on the blog, so here's the deal.

Tim Grahl, then of the Crooked Cog Network and the founder of "Blue Collar Mountainbike"  and "Twenty Nine Inches", had been pestering me to come and help him with coverage of Interbike and to write for Twenty Nine Inches. I had rebuffed him several times, since I was already doing reviews for "The Biking Hub" and was busy with the blog here at the home front. I didn't "need" him or "Twenty Nine Inches". However; Grahl kept insisting I come to Interbike and I finally said I would, but only if it was on his dime. Grahl made it happen, so I was on my way to the show.

In the coming "Minus Ten Review" posts I will get into how that all worked out and ultimately changed my life. I think that there was a lot of good that came out of that, but it didn't come without a lot of worry, frustration, and time spent doing stuff I never wanted to do. They call it "the price you pay". I cannot really say if the price was worth it or not yet. Things are still playing out.......

On a lighter note, I received the Raleigh XXIX single speed and it was really cool. The issue I had was that at that time, I thought I was a medium for 29'ers. The thing was that I not only made that mistake with the Raleigh, but with the Haro Mary I had coming in as well. Lesson learned. Price paid. I ended up sending both those bikes on to new homes where they were ultimately well loved.

One thing that was really kind of odd about the XXIX was that it came with a non-suspension corrected fork. Kind of a weird thing, but it was really a great single speed rig. Maybe had I not been such a knucklehead and had gotten a Large, I would still have that bike, but oh well. Bikes come and bikes go.

Minus Ten Review- 36

My XXIX which I received in September '06

Ten years ago on the blog here was a pivotal time in my life. I announced that I was going to Interbike. It would be my first trip to the show in ten years. The way it all went down was not revealed on the blog, so here's the deal.

Tim Grahl, then of the Crooked Cog Network and the founder of "Blue Collar Mountainbike"  and "Twenty Nine Inches", had been pestering me to come and help him with coverage of Interbike and to write for Twenty Nine Inches. I had rebuffed him several times, since I was already doing reviews for "The Biking Hub" and was busy with the blog here at the home front. I didn't "need" him or "Twenty Nine Inches". However; Grahl kept insisting I come to Interbike and I finally said I would, but only if it was on his dime. Grahl made it happen, so I was on my way to the show.

In the coming "Minus Ten Review" posts I will get into how that all worked out and ultimately changed my life. I think that there was a lot of good that came out of that, but it didn't come without a lot of worry, frustration, and time spent doing stuff I never wanted to do. They call it "the price you pay". I cannot really say if the price was worth it or not yet. Things are still playing out.......

On a lighter note, I received the Raleigh XXIX single speed and it was really cool. The issue I had was that at that time, I thought I was a medium for 29'ers. The thing was that I not only made that mistake with the Raleigh, but with the Haro Mary I had coming in as well. Lesson learned. Price paid. I ended up sending both those bikes on to new homes where they were ultimately well loved.

One thing that was really kind of odd about the XXIX was that it came with a non-suspension corrected fork. Kind of a weird thing, but it was really a great single speed rig. Maybe had I not been such a knucklehead and had gotten a Large, I would still have that bike, but oh well. Bikes come and bikes go.