Two Things

Last delivery of the year.

 Community Service:

This "Two Things" has a common thread. That being the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective where I work these days. 

Last week I delivered the last supplies for the year from our vendor who had my order dropped shipped to the local UPS Store, which is several miles away from the shop. 

While I haven't been there in a few months, the UPS Store employees have gotten to know me and I would wager that is due to my chosen mode of transportation. There probably are not too many cargo bike riders going there to make a pick-up. I always get the side-eye glances and I'm sure many folks think I'm 'stupid' or worse. Once in awhile I get a compliment, and I did on this last run of 2024.

A middle-aged looking lady, who did not look at all like a typical cyclist, saw me run my boxes out and said, "I wondered who had the cargo bike. Cool bike!" I thanked her and went on my way. As I lashed the boxes to the bike, I thought about how rare that interaction is likely to be in Waterloo, Iowa and I smiled as I savored that one. I bet it will be awhile before I hear anything like that again. 

Usually, if anyone dares to say anything, it is more like, "Are you sure that bike can handle that?", or "Ya need a motor on that thing!". When that happens I just smile and nod politely while I'm doing my 'internal eye roll' and thinking that these folks would probably be amazed by eBikes.

Last Thursday I had to hoof it down to the Collective by 7:15 am to let in a group of six John Deere engineers who were volunteering through a program John Deere encourages their employees to get involved in. John Deere wants their employees to volunteer at non-profit organizations that benefit their local community. So, since the Collective is a non-profit, we qualify to host some of the employees throughout the year to help us do our work. 

Typically this is a "tear-down day" where I have the volunteers take bikes down to bare frames and forks. The parts are then sorted into bins and later on I sort those and save what we need to use as a source for rebuilding donated bikes, and in a secondary need, as parts for people trying to build up used bikes that cannot afford bike shop's new part prices. 

I hosted six fellows and in four hours they tore down around 30 bikes and several wheels as well. That'll keep me busy for quite some time! But this program helps us out tremendously at the Collective with being able to process bikes through more efficiently and allows us to continue to help needy people in the community with transportation needs, as well as helping with kid's programs and educational programs. 

Late 1980's vintage Shimano bottom bracket

Old Technology Rears Its Head:

Another thing that happens at the Collective from time to time is what I call "a blast from the past". Something on a bicycle that gets donated that I once knew about but had forgotten until it shows up in the Collective. 

One such thing occurred last week when my co-worker Carl was puzzled by an odd looking bottom bracket in a bicycle he was working on. It looked like a typical cartridge bottom bracket but the plastic cup was on the wrong side. I didn't even have to look at it to know what this was going to be. I was instantly reminded of early Shimano cartridge bottom brackets. 

Now, I may be wrong, but I think these were Shimano's first efforts at a cartridge bottom bracket. At least in the form-factor we know them as today. The main difference being that the steel cup which was attached to the cartridge was on the non-drive side instead of the drive side, which only lasted for a short time before Shimano flip-flopped the cups to what we all know today.  

Also back then, these were adjustable and rebuildable cartridge bottom brackets. I assume Shimano did this to appease the "old ways" and sway mechanics into accepting these new designs. Again, it did not take long for Shimano to abandon this first version of the cartridge bottom bracket for their well known sealed, non-serviceable type. 

I pulled the rubber seal off one end of this bottom bracket to show the ball bearings. The non-drive side has an actual jamb nut and adjusting nut set up, much like a wheel might have, in classic Shimano style. I actually have a Park tool to adjust these with that has followed me to every stop along my mechanic journey since my first shop job in 1993. 

By the way, as I recall, these bottom brackets were already out of the catalog by the time I started wrenching. So, those drive side, left hand threaded plastic cups were like gold! I saved every one I could because they were the weak link in those early cartridge bottom brackets as they were prone to breaking under high-stress pedaling. 

Anyway, it was fun to come across one of those old dinosaurs. Of course, I saved it. I plan on trying to service it later this Winter.

Cargo Biking

One of my favorite alleys in Waterloo

It has been pretty cold here and also- I just got over that illness I had over the holidays. I was trying to be careful here because I am no longer a young lad and I cannot bounce back as quickly as I used to. Still, I am not doing bad, I just am careful. More careful than I used to be.

So, while my heart has been into doing a cold weather gravel ride, something like that is about as tough a deal as you could be putting yourself through. It is raw and the elements give you no quarter out in the country. If you have been weakened by sickness, it is not probably prudent then to be trying yourself that severely right after feeling well again. 

But I was up for a ride, and I had two opportunities to ride for a purpose. one on Friday and one on Monday. Both took me to the local UPS store which is about a three mile ride from the house. I then take my load of packages to the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective for a round trip of about 8 miles. It ain't much, but it is a start after being so ill. 

Of course, I have a route I selected which takes me off the beaten path when I can do that. One of my favorite parts on the way out is an alley I found which looks a lot like a Level B Road. But I ride other alleys too and this keeps me off the streets and away from almost all traffic. 

Interestingly, my home is very near to the oldest parts of Waterloo, and alleys were a thing when the parcels were platted out. There are more alleys than streets in some places. The alleys get less and less as I move Southward into newer parts of Waterloo until there are none at all.

Loaded up at the UPS Store

I often get a lot of "side-eye" at the UPS Store. First is how I can park right next to the door, and cars cannot. That sometimes raises eyebrows! And on cold January days like Monday, I get those looks like, "Is this guy a DUI offender or just some weirdo?" 

They probably think "both!" and worse things. I don't know, but I do know this is an attention-getter way of living. It just may not be the quality of attention you are looking for! I just shrug it off and try to make sure I am being friendly. That and I keep a sharp look-out for cars and other vehicles. People drive waaaaayyy too fast  in parking lots! 

Destination reached!

On the way to the Collective I don't take alleys because they are too rough and the loads can be heavy anyway. This time I had a whole box of bulk chains onboard and the tail was wagging the dog a bit, if you catch my drift. So,  I tend to take it slower and easier on the way back to the shop.

Two trips down and back. Two more bike rides with a little exertion and cold to deal with, but not too much. It may not seem like much but it is a start.

Friday News And Views

Geoff Kabush's Tweet concerning Sea Otter pricing.

Sea Otter Pricing Balloons:

I saw the Tweet alongside this text last Tuesday evening. You can read it yourself, so I won't bother repeating it. You can see for yourself what is being pointed out here. 

It should only be noted as an addendum here that Life Time Fitness purchased Sea Otter in 2021. Is the new price a result of that purchase, or is it something else that is at work here?

Comments: Okay, on the one hand you've had a couple of years where Sea Otter has been affected negatively by the pandemic. Prices may reflect this due to an effort to recoup "lost revenues" and one could perhaps easily see that shipping and supply issues may have caused a rise in prices to some degree. But on the other hand, the price has doubled? 

Okay, commenters were pointing a very sarcastic finger at the popularity gravel cycling for the cause of this, but I don't think that is really what is going on here. I've seen this model for price increases at work before. Here's the deal...

The operating principle here is, what will the market bear? You do not know the answer until you "hit the ceiling" in regard to pricing. So, you raise the price every year by default until, well.....it doesn't work anymore.  Many events do this, not just Sea Otter. 

Also, 2022 saw mass participation at many events max out, possibly due to the fact that most people felt safe to go "do all the things" again. More demand = higher prices. Certainly, economic forces are at work as well, since inflation and higher prices for goods and services are going to put upward pressure on prices. Life Time cannot ignore this as well. 

So, you can say Life Time is "The Bad Guy", but there probably is some credence to seeing this as an economically driven decision to boost pricing as well with an eye to keeping profit margins intact. 

And c'mon! What'd you really expect after Life Time's takeover? Lower pricing? I don't think so....

From Bike Hugger's twitter feed.

And When I Die.....

I saw this on Twitter as well on Wednesday. A cargo bike conversion to a hearse. Electrified, natch! This was seen in France, apparently. I did not research the article. 

Comments: So, this makes sense in that Europe was developed well before automobiles and the streets are narrower, the cities more compact, and the rural byways are often wagon-wide if that. Modern highways exist, for sure, but the majority of Europe is not like America, which is car-centric as it gets. 

So, a hearse on a cargo bike, well that wouldn't fly around here. The church is often not on a cemetery site anymore, or never was, so a funeral procession can be miles, and miles, in length. Also considering the changeable weather, which can sometimes be pretty brutal, and the wild swings seasonally that we have here, well it comes as no surprise to me that I probably will never see anything like this in my lifetime. 

But if I were to die tomorrow....... 

Did you hate the 4 wheeled Hummer?

GMC Partners With Recon To Sell Hummer eBike:

 According to a recent "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" article, Recon Bikes, an eBike manufacturer, is partnering with GMC's Hummer brand to sell their rebranded two-wheeled Hummer to consumers via Hummer/GMC dealerships. While the bike will be available direct to consumer, GMC has approximately 1000 dealerships where the possibility exists that this bike might be sold. Exact numbers were not released at this time for the amount of dealerships that will actually sell this bike alongside the behemoth Hummer EV Supertruck. 

The eBike has twin hub motors and can be modified by the consumer to go above the 20mph factory assist level up to 28mph. The bike also has a thumb operated "throttle".

Comments: A few things stand out to me about this. First, the "Supertruck" has a 3 second zero to 60mph performance. THAT should raise some alarms right there if you ride a bicycle in urban areas where this, and other high-horsepower EV vehicles are about to be unleashed. Second: The bike has TWO hub motors? Yep! It's advertised as an all-wheel drive vehicle. THAT should also be a bit of a scare. If you've ever ridden a throttle equipped HPC - essentially riding an electrified bicycle in "motorcycle mode", you understand why having two torque-monsters on a bicycle has the possibility of causing major mayhem. Third: The comments on the BRAIN article reveal the disconnect that US based bicycle purveyors have with these motorized rigs. One commenter bemoans the "modification" factor and another exclaims that it is "our right" to do what we please with vehicles on our own property. 

That's a lot to unpack, but it is a perfect microcosm of an example for why I believe that we are all looking at "mopeds" with electric motors, why this race to "more power" will end up making these into motorcycles, and why the whole lateral move to electrified transportation is not going to "fix" anything about car-culture. 

Kae Takashita won the C.O.G. 100 in 2019

A Nice Throwback On International Single Speed Day:

Thursday I was tagged in a post on Facebook by Kae Takashita where she posted about riding in the 2019 C.O.G. 100. She was prompted by the Paul Components initiated "International Single Speed Day" which was observed on Wednesday. 

I enjoyed the fact that Kae said, "I believe it was the slowest century I had done...."which is saying something since she is an elite level athlete. To have provided such a challenge is a reward and confirmation of N.Y. Roll and my efforts to do exactly that- provide a tough challenge to overcome. 

So, while I am NOT going to revive this idea, I am proud and satisfied that I was involved in putting on a single speed only gravel event. To my knowledge this is the only time anyone has done such a thing. I am really glad that I did this with N.Y. Roll, who was a huge motivator and assisted me in every way to put on that event. 

Too bad that we were thwarted by COVID and that the 2019 version was the only one we were able to pull off. I regret that deeply and I apologize to anyone reading this for our inability to pull off the second C.O.G. 100 due to the circumstances of the times. 

The whole thing with the C.O.G. 100 is bittersweet, to be honest. It was my swansong of sorts, when it comes to events promotions, and I wasn't aware of that at the time. COVID precipitated my decision to get out of that mindset of putting on events for others, which is a good thing - for myself. My mental health and physical health has been rejuvenated as a result. But had I known that the 2019 C.O.G. 100 was going to be "it", I maybe would have done a few things differently. Maybe it's better I didn't know....  

Anyway, thanks to Kae! I appreciated the shout-out and the memory very much.

 That's a wrap for this week! Don't forget to set your clocks back this weekend (if that affects you) and charge up those lights!

Friday News And Views

Geoff Kabush's Tweet concerning Sea Otter pricing.

Sea Otter Pricing Balloons:

I saw the Tweet alongside this text last Tuesday evening. You can read it yourself, so I won't bother repeating it. You can see for yourself what is being pointed out here. 

It should only be noted as an addendum here that Life Time Fitness purchased Sea Otter in 2021. Is the new price a result of that purchase, or is it something else that is at work here?

Comments: Okay, on the one hand you've had a couple of years where Sea Otter has been affected negatively by the pandemic. Prices may reflect this due to an effort to recoup "lost revenues" and one could perhaps easily see that shipping and supply issues may have caused a rise in prices to some degree. But on the other hand, the price has doubled? 

Okay, commenters were pointing a very sarcastic finger at the popularity gravel cycling for the cause of this, but I don't think that is really what is going on here. I've seen this model for price increases at work before. Here's the deal...

The operating principle here is, what will the market bear? You do not know the answer until you "hit the ceiling" in regard to pricing. So, you raise the price every year by default until, well.....it doesn't work anymore.  Many events do this, not just Sea Otter. 

Also, 2022 saw mass participation at many events max out, possibly due to the fact that most people felt safe to go "do all the things" again. More demand = higher prices. Certainly, economic forces are at work as well, since inflation and higher prices for goods and services are going to put upward pressure on prices. Life Time cannot ignore this as well. 

So, you can say Life Time is "The Bad Guy", but there probably is some credence to seeing this as an economically driven decision to boost pricing as well with an eye to keeping profit margins intact. 

And c'mon! What'd you really expect after Life Time's takeover? Lower pricing? I don't think so....

From Bike Hugger's twitter feed.

And When I Die.....

I saw this on Twitter as well on Wednesday. A cargo bike conversion to a hearse. Electrified, natch! This was seen in France, apparently. I did not research the article. 

Comments: So, this makes sense in that Europe was developed well before automobiles and the streets are narrower, the cities more compact, and the rural byways are often wagon-wide if that. Modern highways exist, for sure, but the majority of Europe is not like America, which is car-centric as it gets. 

So, a hearse on a cargo bike, well that wouldn't fly around here. The church is often not on a cemetery site anymore, or never was, so a funeral procession can be miles, and miles, in length. Also considering the changeable weather, which can sometimes be pretty brutal, and the wild swings seasonally that we have here, well it comes as no surprise to me that I probably will never see anything like this in my lifetime. 

But if I were to die tomorrow....... 

Did you hate the 4 wheeled Hummer?

GMC Partners With Recon To Sell Hummer eBike:

 According to a recent "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" article, Recon Bikes, an eBike manufacturer, is partnering with GMC's Hummer brand to sell their rebranded two-wheeled Hummer to consumers via Hummer/GMC dealerships. While the bike will be available direct to consumer, GMC has approximately 1000 dealerships where the possibility exists that this bike might be sold. Exact numbers were not released at this time for the amount of dealerships that will actually sell this bike alongside the behemoth Hummer EV Supertruck. 

The eBike has twin hub motors and can be modified by the consumer to go above the 20mph factory assist level up to 28mph. The bike also has a thumb operated "throttle".

Comments: A few things stand out to me about this. First, the "Supertruck" has a 3 second zero to 60mph performance. THAT should raise some alarms right there if you ride a bicycle in urban areas where this, and other high-horsepower EV vehicles are about to be unleashed. Second: The bike has TWO hub motors? Yep! It's advertised as an all-wheel drive vehicle. THAT should also be a bit of a scare. If you've ever ridden a throttle equipped HPC - essentially riding an electrified bicycle in "motorcycle mode", you understand why having two torque-monsters on a bicycle has the possibility of causing major mayhem. Third: The comments on the BRAIN article reveal the disconnect that US based bicycle purveyors have with these motorized rigs. One commenter bemoans the "modification" factor and another exclaims that it is "our right" to do what we please with vehicles on our own property. 

That's a lot to unpack, but it is a perfect microcosm of an example for why I believe that we are all looking at "mopeds" with electric motors, why this race to "more power" will end up making these into motorcycles, and why the whole lateral move to electrified transportation is not going to "fix" anything about car-culture. 

Kae Takashita won the C.O.G. 100 in 2019

A Nice Throwback On International Single Speed Day:

Thursday I was tagged in a post on Facebook by Kae Takashita where she posted about riding in the 2019 C.O.G. 100. She was prompted by the Paul Components initiated "International Single Speed Day" which was observed on Wednesday. 

I enjoyed the fact that Kae said, "I believe it was the slowest century I had done...."which is saying something since she is an elite level athlete. To have provided such a challenge is a reward and confirmation of N.Y. Roll and my efforts to do exactly that- provide a tough challenge to overcome. 

So, while I am NOT going to revive this idea, I am proud and satisfied that I was involved in putting on a single speed only gravel event. To my knowledge this is the only time anyone has done such a thing. I am really glad that I did this with N.Y. Roll, who was a huge motivator and assisted me in every way to put on that event. 

Too bad that we were thwarted by COVID and that the 2019 version was the only one we were able to pull off. I regret that deeply and I apologize to anyone reading this for our inability to pull off the second C.O.G. 100 due to the circumstances of the times. 

The whole thing with the C.O.G. 100 is bittersweet, to be honest. It was my swansong of sorts, when it comes to events promotions, and I wasn't aware of that at the time. COVID precipitated my decision to get out of that mindset of putting on events for others, which is a good thing - for myself. My mental health and physical health has been rejuvenated as a result. But had I known that the 2019 C.O.G. 100 was going to be "it", I maybe would have done a few things differently. Maybe it's better I didn't know....  

Anyway, thanks to Kae! I appreciated the shout-out and the memory very much.

 That's a wrap for this week! Don't forget to set your clocks back this weekend (if that affects you) and charge up those lights!

Bikes Of 2017: Big Dummy

On a recent recycling run.

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.

The Big Dummy is a bicycle I wanted to get my hands on for many years. I shouldn't have waited so long. I love having the thing around.

I most often use it for recycling duties. Once in a great while I do a Post Office run or go to the grocery store with it. But most often it's loaded with cardboard, plastic milk jugs, and clear glass for recycling. Sure, I could do those blue cans that the City will come and pick up, but that's not getting me outside and pedaling.

Now when the Surly guys and gals introduced the Big Fat Dummy, I was taken aback. Then Salsa Cycles re-introduced the Blackborow as a cargo carrying fat bike. Now what?!! The siren song of fat bike wheels made both options attractive to me. However; for the way that I use my Big Dummy, it just doesn't make sense to dive into getting a bike that I would not need the capabilities of for probably 8-9 months out of the year. Besides, I can do a studded set of tires for this bike and I can have a second wheel set with those ready to go anytime. For getting around town, that would likely do what I needed.

So, while what I do with my Big Dummy isn't all exciting and adventurous, (in fact, it probably is boring), I really have enjoyed having it around. Those bigger wheeled, fatter tire cargo bikes are all cool, sure, but they aren't necessary to do what I do with the Big Dummy. Don't expect any exciting stories anytime soon related to this rig!

Bikes Of 2017: Big Dummy

On a recent recycling run.

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.

The Big Dummy is a bicycle I wanted to get my hands on for many years. I shouldn't have waited so long. I love having the thing around.

I most often use it for recycling duties. Once in a great while I do a Post Office run or go to the grocery store with it. But most often it's loaded with cardboard, plastic milk jugs, and clear glass for recycling. Sure, I could do those blue cans that the City will come and pick up, but that's not getting me outside and pedaling.

Now when the Surly guys and gals introduced the Big Fat Dummy, I was taken aback. Then Salsa Cycles re-introduced the Blackborow as a cargo carrying fat bike. Now what?!! The siren song of fat bike wheels made both options attractive to me. However; for the way that I use my Big Dummy, it just doesn't make sense to dive into getting a bike that I would not need the capabilities of for probably 8-9 months out of the year. Besides, I can do a studded set of tires for this bike and I can have a second wheel set with those ready to go anytime. For getting around town, that would likely do what I needed.

So, while what I do with my Big Dummy isn't all exciting and adventurous, (in fact, it probably is boring), I really have enjoyed having it around. Those bigger wheeled, fatter tire cargo bikes are all cool, sure, but they aren't necessary to do what I do with the Big Dummy. Don't expect any exciting stories anytime soon related to this rig!

Friday News And Views

Recycling cycling.

Big Dummy-

I figured I'd share a few things about the Big Dummy here. It's been a great addition to the fleet. I usually use it for recycling duties, but I have also done the odd errand and hauled things back from the farmers market and whatnot.

I tried using it for commuting but my route is not "Big Dummy friendly". The thing doesn't like curbs and going over them, or even off them, is a jarringly unpleasant experience. I have to cross five or six curbs, (not sure, but at least that many), on my way to work. Loaded, the Big Dummy really sucks on curbs. That front wheel, due to the bike's geometry, is really pinned to the ground and the back end is waaaaaaaay out there, so getting the bike to rotate back on its haunches is nigh unto impossible. So, subsequently I decided to quit using it for commutes unless it was absolutely necessary.

So, I kind of panned the new Blackborow here a few weeks ago when it was announced, and while some of my criticisms were confirmed by a friend and others by Salsa's own "loading instructions" technical page. , I now have a new perspective on the rig. That was a result of speaking with a very good friend of mine, (aforementioned), who happens to be "on the inside" and was able to ride one of these for an extended period of time and has used it for lots of things and with lots of different loads. The main thing I took away was that it is possible to loft the front end of this bike, and that it could perhaps even be easier to do that depending on how it is loaded.

Therefore; I have taken a new interest in the new Blackborow. It would be something I think would fit in with how I use a bike like this, although Salsa is denying it is a "cargo bike", yet they allow for loads to be carried by bags on the rack. I guess it all depends upon your definition of "cargo".

Tubeless......again.......finally!

Pofahl Gets Tubeless......Again!

I was reminiscing about what it took to get a tubeless set up on a 29"er circa 2007. I was curious as to how I could make my 2006 Industry 9 wheel set tubeless with the DT Swiss TK series rims the wheels were spec'ed with. Of course, you had to do it "ghetto-tubeless" because other than the somewhat hard to get your hands on Stan's tape, there wasn't any other options and tires were hard to find that had a tight fit.

It wasn't impossible, but to get these rims to be tubeless with the original set up, with the "not for tubeless use" Vulpines, I had to go to extraordinary lengths. I started with two runs of strapping tape. That was covered by 3M mounting tape which I had to cut to width. Then over that went two runs of black electrical tape. Only then could I get the tires to set up. Of course, it wasn't easy even then. I remember it was quite the struggle. Anyway, things are, thankfully, much different ten years down the road.

After stripping out all the layers I put in ten years ago I added two runs of Velocity "blue" tubeless tape, added two Bontrager road TLR tubeless valve stems, added the "MG's Secret Sauce" (again- don't ask ) tubeless goop, and they aired up with a small compressor I have. Oh......and I used a brand new set of WTB TCS Nano's in the 2.1" size. 

There was one, minor disconcerting fact that I noted while doing this. The tires never made a peep setting up. I did not get that satisfying loud "snap!" of the bead setting in its seat on the rim. That's likely because the TK series of rims that DT Swiss used to make has a pretty aggressive hook bead whereas newer tubeless ready designs do not. The newer, tubeless ready rims generally have a squared off seat which has a slightly larger diameter for the tire bead to "lock" in to. Now, I am not going to be running low pressures or smashing into trail obstacles with this set up, but I have no doubt that if I did the tires would easily burp. So, while I am good to go for gravel, I still want to look into getting "real" tubeless ready rims.

Single Speed Century

So, the next deal I want to get going on is to try out the Pofahl on the planned century ride I have mapped out. I haven't done a century on a single speed in a long time, so I am overdue.

I kind of wanted to do this in September, but, obviously, I am running a bit short on time for this! Well, Saturday is my last chance and I think I am going for it unless I still feel like I am run down.

Yeah......I've been not feeling the best lately. I relapsed in terms of my cold right after the trip I was on last week. Feeling run down, congested, and well........crappy. We'll see how this whole single speed century thing goes.

But, I will give it my best. I have a pretty "single speed friendly" course designed so it isn't anything too radical in terms of elevation gain. I'm hoping that I can get up early on Saturday morning when it is still dark out and get going on that.

Then the next deal will be the second Fat Bike Century. That should happen in October sometime. We actually did that a year ago this weekend, myself and Tony, and Tony wants another go at that as well. So, if I can pull off those two century rides I'll have done five century rides and will need only one more for my own version of a cup o dirt.

Have a great weekend and I hope that you have a good bicycling time!

Friday News And Views

Recycling cycling.

Big Dummy-

I figured I'd share a few things about the Big Dummy here. It's been a great addition to the fleet. I usually use it for recycling duties, but I have also done the odd errand and hauled things back from the farmers market and whatnot.

I tried using it for commuting but my route is not "Big Dummy friendly". The thing doesn't like curbs and going over them, or even off them, is a jarringly unpleasant experience. I have to cross five or six curbs, (not sure, but at least that many), on my way to work. Loaded, the Big Dummy really sucks on curbs. That front wheel, due to the bike's geometry, is really pinned to the ground and the back end is waaaaaaaay out there, so getting the bike to rotate back on its haunches is nigh unto impossible. So, subsequently I decided to quit using it for commutes unless it was absolutely necessary.

So, I kind of panned the new Blackborow here a few weeks ago when it was announced, and while some of my criticisms were confirmed by a friend and others by Salsa's own "loading instructions" technical page. , I now have a new perspective on the rig. That was a result of speaking with a very good friend of mine, (aforementioned), who happens to be "on the inside" and was able to ride one of these for an extended period of time and has used it for lots of things and with lots of different loads. The main thing I took away was that it is possible to loft the front end of this bike, and that it could perhaps even be easier to do that depending on how it is loaded.

Therefore; I have taken a new interest in the new Blackborow. It would be something I think would fit in with how I use a bike like this, although Salsa is denying it is a "cargo bike", yet they allow for loads to be carried by bags on the rack. I guess it all depends upon your definition of "cargo".

Tubeless......again.......finally!

Pofahl Gets Tubeless......Again!

I was reminiscing about what it took to get a tubeless set up on a 29"er circa 2007. I was curious as to how I could make my 2006 Industry 9 wheel set tubeless with the DT Swiss TK series rims the wheels were spec'ed with. Of course, you had to do it "ghetto-tubeless" because other than the somewhat hard to get your hands on Stan's tape, there wasn't any other options and tires were hard to find that had a tight fit.

It wasn't impossible, but to get these rims to be tubeless with the original set up, with the "not for tubeless use" Vulpines, I had to go to extraordinary lengths. I started with two runs of strapping tape. That was covered by 3M mounting tape which I had to cut to width. Then over that went two runs of black electrical tape. Only then could I get the tires to set up. Of course, it wasn't easy even then. I remember it was quite the struggle. Anyway, things are, thankfully, much different ten years down the road.

After stripping out all the layers I put in ten years ago I added two runs of Velocity "blue" tubeless tape, added two Bontrager road TLR tubeless valve stems, added the "MG's Secret Sauce" (again- don't ask ) tubeless goop, and they aired up with a small compressor I have. Oh......and I used a brand new set of WTB TCS Nano's in the 2.1" size. 

There was one, minor disconcerting fact that I noted while doing this. The tires never made a peep setting up. I did not get that satisfying loud "snap!" of the bead setting in its seat on the rim. That's likely because the TK series of rims that DT Swiss used to make has a pretty aggressive hook bead whereas newer tubeless ready designs do not. The newer, tubeless ready rims generally have a squared off seat which has a slightly larger diameter for the tire bead to "lock" in to. Now, I am not going to be running low pressures or smashing into trail obstacles with this set up, but I have no doubt that if I did the tires would easily burp. So, while I am good to go for gravel, I still want to look into getting "real" tubeless ready rims.

Single Speed Century

So, the next deal I want to get going on is to try out the Pofahl on the planned century ride I have mapped out. I haven't done a century on a single speed in a long time, so I am overdue.

I kind of wanted to do this in September, but, obviously, I am running a bit short on time for this! Well, Saturday is my last chance and I think I am going for it unless I still feel like I am run down.

Yeah......I've been not feeling the best lately. I relapsed in terms of my cold right after the trip I was on last week. Feeling run down, congested, and well........crappy. We'll see how this whole single speed century thing goes.

But, I will give it my best. I have a pretty "single speed friendly" course designed so it isn't anything too radical in terms of elevation gain. I'm hoping that I can get up early on Saturday morning when it is still dark out and get going on that.

Then the next deal will be the second Fat Bike Century. That should happen in October sometime. We actually did that a year ago this weekend, myself and Tony, and Tony wants another go at that as well. So, if I can pull off those two century rides I'll have done five century rides and will need only one more for my own version of a cup o dirt.

Have a great weekend and I hope that you have a good bicycling time!

Salsa Cycles 2018 News

2918 Salsa Cutthroat Rival 1

Salsa Cycles finally pulled the drapes off the stuff they showed dealers last Summer at Saddledrive and it wasn't too big of a surprise with the exception of one model which I will get to in a minute. But before I get any further, I have to post my standard disclaimer.....

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

Okay, so here's the deal. It is just color and spec changes. That's all folks. No news here. But that said, the colors do make a difference and all you have to do to see this is to check out the social media reposts of Salsa's press release. Now, I am not saying people are blind to details and all focused on just the colors, but again- colors make a difference. Always have with regard to bicycles. So, with no real meat to chew on here, all we can do is focus on what Salsa brought to the table in terms of the looks and in passing there will be a few comments about spec.

Top of the line Cutthroat Force 1

Cutthroat Apex 1

Cutthroat: Three levels to buy instead of two now, the top two having hydraulic disc brakes. The colors are "cutthroat" all the way. This bike debuted with the loud "Gulf Racing" scheme colors and hasn't looked back or apologized for being noticeable since. 1X drive trains because.....you know. But to be fair, it is a bike packing bike and front derailleurs get in the way of bags and collect mud and dirt in extreme conditions. That is also why you don't see a ton of these at the gravel road events. You can't gear it fast enough for the racing crowd due to the mtb drive train limitations.  But even though that is the case, a fair number of these were spotted by me at this past Spring's Dirty Kanza 200.

I have ridden a couple of these and they are fantastic machines. I like them. I will never own one though. In my mind, a titanium frame for this sort of rig makes way more sense to me. The expense of the bike is also a bit much, and really, the price is in titanium territory. If I were to get one, that orange one here has my vote. Orange is fast, plus it doesn't have hydraulic brakes, which in the case of a bike like this, I feel is the smart set up choice.

The titanium frame and carbon fork carries over for 2018, which indicates that there will be more of these.

Fargo:

The titanium Fargo is coming back in to stock at some point since it appears on the website. That seems like a smart move on Salsa's part since the frame became vaporware almost as soon as it was announced. I expect another small run again, so if you were to be wanting one, I'd put a pre-order in now. They won't be making a lot of these, I would guess.

Then we have two other Fargo models. Basically, you get one with a steel fork or one with a carbon fork, but the steel one only comes with 29"er wheels and the carbon Firestarter fork Fargo comes with 27.5+ wheels only. Bah! Why not allow some choice here? To be fair, you can get the "Purple" frame and fork and build up your own rig. Which is what I would do.

Fargo GX 29- What's that?! A 2X drive train? Whoa!

Fargo Rival 1- Okay, ditch the hydro brakes, take off those bulbous doughnuts, and slap on some 29"er skinwalls.

I really like the color purple, so you can imagine how I feel about the bottom image here. That said, I wouldn't want the bike the way it is spec'ed. Thankfully, like I mentioned, I could get the frame/fork, (at least according to the website), but maybe that would be hard to track down. Salsa used to be all frame/fork only builds but the pendulum has swung the other way and now frame/fork onlys are harder to come by.

But do I really need a purple Fargo? No, I don't. It isn't compelling enough to buy it as a complete for me and if a frame and fork came around and I could get that, I might. But if I am honest with myself, a titanium Fargo makes far more sense for me and I wonder if there is a ten year anniversary Fargo on the horizon. If there is, well.........

Warbird Carbon Ultegra

Warbird: The racing gravel rig. Pretty much the same as always here with SRAM or Shimano models in carbon and one aluminum model. Note the 2X drive trains. Smart choices for most gravel going racers. While 1X gains more spec, and therefore by the very nature of that, more gravel riders using 1X, I do not believe it is the best choice.

Personally, I don't think the chain line 1X presents is ideal, nor do I think that the cadence altering jumps between gears are beneficial to gravel riders, but maybe I am just an old fuddy-duddy. 2X makes a lot of sense and I am glad to see it spec'ed on the Bird Of War machines.

The Vaya basically just changes colors for 2018.

 Vaya: The Vaya carries over the Orange from last year and adds a Charcoal for the Apex equipped model which sports the carbon fork. The steel forked Vaya Tiagra comes in Red or Mint.

This model is maybe the most under rated gravel machine available. It really rides well on gravel roads. I am constantly surprised that more folks don't use this rig as their gravel bike.


Mountain Bikes: Oddly enough, there was no mention of any dual suspension bikes. Other than that, the Woodsmoke carries forward with new colors and the Timberjack expands to four models all under $1600.00. I suspect at some point that there will be another unveiling of FS mtb product in the future. By the way, the scuttlebutt I hear is that the full suspension fat bike is no more. Now for the BIG news that happened.........

The Blackborow- now with 27.5 hoops and all that extra frame action behind the saddle.

Blackborow: Yeah, I was floored when I saw this. The Blackborow comes back as a "mid-tail" cargo bike with 27.5" fat tires. (Why isn't this the "plus" version of 27.5"ers? I cannot say.) A lot of folks are really excited about this bike, but I groaned when I saw it.

I wanted to see a 2XL compatible Blackborow in Titanium. Not another take on a Big Fat Dummy. But maybe I am the oddball in the room.

Okay, my take. If you were really going waaaaay back country, needed flotation, and needed a ton of supplies, then maybe this makes sense. Barring the aforementioned, my Big Dummy can do everything else this can. This is also why I did not buy a Big Fat Dummy. The second thing is more about a principle I have noted in life more than anything. That is, no matter the size of the purse or the size of the garage, one fiinds a way to stuff it to capacity. I like bike packing set ups on typical bicycles since it forces you to make decisions and simplify. The Blackborow allows for excess. My opinion. YMMV

Finally, I've followed fat bike devotees and development for years and this longer back end, unless it is loaded, doesn't fare so well on deeper, looser snow and mud. Think unloaded pick-up truck. My Big Dummy does similar gymnastics in sand, especially when not loaded. Also, it will be far more difficult to get the front wheel unweighted for deep snow travel, which I do occasionally with my fat bikes when the snow hits. The "mid-tail" Blackborow may be for you, but it is not at all a compelling choice for me, since I already have a cargo bike that is very capable.

Okay, so a lot of bikes with not much new here. I get that. Salsa isn't big enough and the market is to weak to be bringing innovations that may fall flat on their face. (Well........there is the Blackborow, okay......I get that.) So, a lateral move in terms of another model year, unless...... As I say, it was odd that there was no public acknowledgement in the press release about FS mtb product and if there was going to be any news forthcoming in that arena. We'll have to wait and see. I suspect Sea Otter 2018 would be when that would make sense to have it announced.

Salsa Cycles 2018 News

2918 Salsa Cutthroat Rival 1

Salsa Cycles finally pulled the drapes off the stuff they showed dealers last Summer at Saddledrive and it wasn't too big of a surprise with the exception of one model which I will get to in a minute. But before I get any further, I have to post my standard disclaimer.....

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

Okay, so here's the deal. It is just color and spec changes. That's all folks. No news here. But that said, the colors do make a difference and all you have to do to see this is to check out the social media reposts of Salsa's press release. Now, I am not saying people are blind to details and all focused on just the colors, but again- colors make a difference. Always have with regard to bicycles. So, with no real meat to chew on here, all we can do is focus on what Salsa brought to the table in terms of the looks and in passing there will be a few comments about spec.

Top of the line Cutthroat Force 1

Cutthroat Apex 1

Cutthroat: Three levels to buy instead of two now, the top two having hydraulic disc brakes. The colors are "cutthroat" all the way. This bike debuted with the loud "Gulf Racing" scheme colors and hasn't looked back or apologized for being noticeable since. 1X drive trains because.....you know. But to be fair, it is a bike packing bike and front derailleurs get in the way of bags and collect mud and dirt in extreme conditions. That is also why you don't see a ton of these at the gravel road events. You can't gear it fast enough for the racing crowd due to the mtb drive train limitations.  But even though that is the case, a fair number of these were spotted by me at this past Spring's Dirty Kanza 200.

I have ridden a couple of these and they are fantastic machines. I like them. I will never own one though. In my mind, a titanium frame for this sort of rig makes way more sense to me. The expense of the bike is also a bit much, and really, the price is in titanium territory. If I were to get one, that orange one here has my vote. Orange is fast, plus it doesn't have hydraulic brakes, which in the case of a bike like this, I feel is the smart set up choice.

The titanium frame and carbon fork carries over for 2018, which indicates that there will be more of these.

Fargo:

The titanium Fargo is coming back in to stock at some point since it appears on the website. That seems like a smart move on Salsa's part since the frame became vaporware almost as soon as it was announced. I expect another small run again, so if you were to be wanting one, I'd put a pre-order in now. They won't be making a lot of these, I would guess.

Then we have two other Fargo models. Basically, you get one with a steel fork or one with a carbon fork, but the steel one only comes with 29"er wheels and the carbon Firestarter fork Fargo comes with 27.5+ wheels only. Bah! Why not allow some choice here? To be fair, you can get the "Purple" frame and fork and build up your own rig. Which is what I would do.

Fargo GX 29- What's that?! A 2X drive train? Whoa!

Fargo Rival 1- Okay, ditch the hydro brakes, take off those bulbous doughnuts, and slap on some 29"er skinwalls.

I really like the color purple, so you can imagine how I feel about the bottom image here. That said, I wouldn't want the bike the way it is spec'ed. Thankfully, like I mentioned, I could get the frame/fork, (at least according to the website), but maybe that would be hard to track down. Salsa used to be all frame/fork only builds but the pendulum has swung the other way and now frame/fork onlys are harder to come by.

But do I really need a purple Fargo? No, I don't. It isn't compelling enough to buy it as a complete for me and if a frame and fork came around and I could get that, I might. But if I am honest with myself, a titanium Fargo makes far more sense for me and I wonder if there is a ten year anniversary Fargo on the horizon. If there is, well.........

Warbird Carbon Ultegra

Warbird: The racing gravel rig. Pretty much the same as always here with SRAM or Shimano models in carbon and one aluminum model. Note the 2X drive trains. Smart choices for most gravel going racers. While 1X gains more spec, and therefore by the very nature of that, more gravel riders using 1X, I do not believe it is the best choice.

Personally, I don't think the chain line 1X presents is ideal, nor do I think that the cadence altering jumps between gears are beneficial to gravel riders, but maybe I am just an old fuddy-duddy. 2X makes a lot of sense and I am glad to see it spec'ed on the Bird Of War machines.

The Vaya basically just changes colors for 2018.

 Vaya: The Vaya carries over the Orange from last year and adds a Charcoal for the Apex equipped model which sports the carbon fork. The steel forked Vaya Tiagra comes in Red or Mint.

This model is maybe the most under rated gravel machine available. It really rides well on gravel roads. I am constantly surprised that more folks don't use this rig as their gravel bike.


Mountain Bikes: Oddly enough, there was no mention of any dual suspension bikes. Other than that, the Woodsmoke carries forward with new colors and the Timberjack expands to four models all under $1600.00. I suspect at some point that there will be another unveiling of FS mtb product in the future. By the way, the scuttlebutt I hear is that the full suspension fat bike is no more. Now for the BIG news that happened.........

The Blackborow- now with 27.5 hoops and all that extra frame action behind the saddle.

Blackborow: Yeah, I was floored when I saw this. The Blackborow comes back as a "mid-tail" cargo bike with 27.5" fat tires. (Why isn't this the "plus" version of 27.5"ers? I cannot say.) A lot of folks are really excited about this bike, but I groaned when I saw it.

I wanted to see a 2XL compatible Blackborow in Titanium. Not another take on a Big Fat Dummy. But maybe I am the oddball in the room.

Okay, my take. If you were really going waaaaay back country, needed flotation, and needed a ton of supplies, then maybe this makes sense. Barring the aforementioned, my Big Dummy can do everything else this can. This is also why I did not buy a Big Fat Dummy. The second thing is more about a principle I have noted in life more than anything. That is, no matter the size of the purse or the size of the garage, one fiinds a way to stuff it to capacity. I like bike packing set ups on typical bicycles since it forces you to make decisions and simplify. The Blackborow allows for excess. My opinion. YMMV

Finally, I've followed fat bike devotees and development for years and this longer back end, unless it is loaded, doesn't fare so well on deeper, looser snow and mud. Think unloaded pick-up truck. My Big Dummy does similar gymnastics in sand, especially when not loaded. Also, it will be far more difficult to get the front wheel unweighted for deep snow travel, which I do occasionally with my fat bikes when the snow hits. The "mid-tail" Blackborow may be for you, but it is not at all a compelling choice for me, since I already have a cargo bike that is very capable.

Okay, so a lot of bikes with not much new here. I get that. Salsa isn't big enough and the market is to weak to be bringing innovations that may fall flat on their face. (Well........there is the Blackborow, okay......I get that.) So, a lateral move in terms of another model year, unless...... As I say, it was odd that there was no public acknowledgement in the press release about FS mtb product and if there was going to be any news forthcoming in that arena. We'll have to wait and see. I suspect Sea Otter 2018 would be when that would make sense to have it announced.

Cleaning House

This outlandish load was extricated from the Lab and disposed of.

I spent a good chunk of my day off clearing out another corner of the Lab at Guitar Ted Productions headquarters yesterday. This was a big load of crusty, old, worn out tires, for the most part. During the process I learned several things.

The first is that it feels incredibly good, (for me anyway) to clean up and clear out stuff. There is some fancy word or this. Feng shui, or something. If you Google the term you find all sorts of nuttiness. I just mean it to say that I felt liberated by clearing out that old junk. Nuff said......

The next thing was that when you fold up old, dry rotted tires, they crack like bones. That's kind of creepy, but that felt good to do as well. Definitely nuff said there!

Then I really learned that the Big Dummy is so vastly superior to my old cargo rig that it was laughable. Old tires weigh a lot, in case you didn't know. Add in a few steel wheels and you get a potentially unruly load which could twist a typical Xtracycle rig into a wet noodle of death to ride. Not the Big Dummy! Stiff and secure to ride. Not a problem. Those brakes too..... Marvelous. I actually had fun riding it loaded down.

Finally, when you ride against a stiff, cold wind, loads that stick up in the air can be a bit unsettling. I should have tied those wheels down lower! But I got there 5 miles later to the place where I could dispose of this stuff. Then I felt like Superman when all the weight was off the bike and the wind was at my back, That was really fun.

More cleaning and arranging to come. I've made excellent progress so far, but I am only maybe half the way done.

Cleaning House

This outlandish load was extricated from the Lab and disposed of.

I spent a good chunk of my day off clearing out another corner of the Lab at Guitar Ted Productions headquarters yesterday. This was a big load of crusty, old, worn out tires, for the most part. During the process I learned several things.

The first is that it feels incredibly good, (for me anyway) to clean up and clear out stuff. There is some fancy word or this. Feng shui, or something. If you Google the term you find all sorts of nuttiness. I just mean it to say that I felt liberated by clearing out that old junk. Nuff said......

The next thing was that when you fold up old, dry rotted tires, they crack like bones. That's kind of creepy, but that felt good to do as well. Definitely nuff said there!

Then I really learned that the Big Dummy is so vastly superior to my old cargo rig that it was laughable. Old tires weigh a lot, in case you didn't know. Add in a few steel wheels and you get a potentially unruly load which could twist a typical Xtracycle rig into a wet noodle of death to ride. Not the Big Dummy! Stiff and secure to ride. Not a problem. Those brakes too..... Marvelous. I actually had fun riding it loaded down.

Finally, when you ride against a stiff, cold wind, loads that stick up in the air can be a bit unsettling. I should have tied those wheels down lower! But I got there 5 miles later to the place where I could dispose of this stuff. Then I felt like Superman when all the weight was off the bike and the wind was at my back, That was really fun.

More cleaning and arranging to come. I've made excellent progress so far, but I am only maybe half the way done.

Big Fat Dummy: Are You Kidding Me!

Finally! They went and did THIS!

Surly Bikes is a weird company. I am not sure that the originators of the company back in the late 90's quite envisioned this, but they set the course for the company by offering a bike no one else would in the mainstream industry and decided not to fundamentally change it or phase it out. The Surly 1X1 frame and fork still, after 18 years, is available. It has been updated, but fundamentally, it is the same bike.

Surly has remained that company for the most part. They do not cotton to "model years". They change spec and colors whenever they flow with their supply chain. (Much to the chagrin, at times, to their fan base.) They update features when it makes sense to do that. But more importantly, they make stuff when the mainstream bike companies won't consider doing that. Still.

The Big Dummy cargo bike is such a rig. Fisher took a stab at the cargo bike, and Kona offers one, but neither did it before Surly did it. Now look what they did...... They made it a fat bike too. Don't hold your breath for a Trek or Specialized version of this to come out. And maybe that's for the best.

For all the super-nerdy details on this rig, see Surly's blog post here. Get ready to burn a half an hour.......or more. 

An example of the activity you might get involved in by exposing yourself to a Big Fat Dummy

 If you've read this blog for a while you know I just got a Big Dummy. I really, really like it, and I will admit that I've been looking at how I could maybe squeeze something bigger inside that frame for tires. I have quietly thought for several years that a Big Fat Dummy would make perfect sense, and said so to then Surly Marketing wonk Travis. In fact, he owned a Big Fat Dummy with 3.0" Knards stuffed in, barely, and agreed that the Big Fat Dummy would be rad. I wouldn't at all be surprised that the project was kicked off at around that time. I bet I wasn't the only one saying they should make one.

Well, however that worked out, they did it. The bike everyone that owned a fat bike and a Big Dummy had thought about. A steel, fat tire capable cargo bike. It takes the biggest fat tires out there now, if you are willing to compromise on drive train range a bit. It can handle up to a 100mm suspension device up front. It has a completely new, better frame than the current Big Dummy has. Stiffer, more capable to ride over stuff. It can even handle 29+ tires and wheels. It is even dropper post compatible. Don't laugh. If you've ever tried to mount a fully loaded Big Dummy, a dropper post makes a ton of sense. Call it a parking setting post. Then it maybe it becomes more clear as to why that might be.

So, I have a Big Dummy. Would I get one of these?

Having never ridden this beast, here's my reaction to the thing at this point in light of my experiences with the Big Dummy.

This is my Big Dummy

 Well, if I hadn't purchased this Big Dummy that I have now, yes- I would definitely get the Big Fat Dummy, and here is why:

• Totally redesigned frame which is stiffer, has through axles, and new geometry for easier roll over of curbs, etc.
• Suspension fork compatibility. I have Bluto fat bike suspension fork which would be perfect on this bike.
• Fat tire capability. I would have a Winter set of tires and a Summer, smoother treaded set. 
• Tubeless rims. Natch.
• Dropper post compatibility. A brilliant idea for this bike. They are not just for drop offs and gnarly terrain. 

So, am I trading in my old Big Dummy for this? Not likely. I still really want a Big Fat Dummy, but I don't really need to get one. Mine is lighter than this new one (The BFD weighs 54lbs in size medium), I can do 95% of what I need a cargo bike to do with this current Big Dummy, (Winter performance yet to be determined), and my current Big Dummy is stiff enough for my needs.

The new Big Fat Dummy would increase my capabilities a touch, but at the price of $2950.00USD it would also cost me a lot more.Value gained per dollars spent would be minimal in my case, but for anyone that isn't in to a fat bike and needs a lifestyle/car replacement bicycle, this would be on top of my list.

Okay- Now it is speculation time: Sometimes you can glean little nuggets from press releases and historical performances of certain companies. Surly is no different in this regard.

Surly mention the following in their blog post about the tire capabilities of the Surly Big Fat Dummy: "Like stated earlier, you are good to go up to 26x5.25” in the Big Fat Dummy." 

Wait...... No one makes a fat bike tire in that size. Yet.

Let's say Surly has a bigger, badder fat bike tire up their sleeve. Wait....... They don't make a bicycle that can fit that big of a tire. Yet.

Hmm..... Maybe there is something else I could really use coming up........