Randomonium: Three Things

Trek Farley 9 Winter Edition (Image courtesy of Trek Bikes)

 Trek Offers Fully Decked Out Farley:

Trek announced a new Farley fat bike this past week that is fully kitted out. this turnkey fat bike is ready for a long haul, bikepacking, or a quick over-night outing. 

Made from aluminum, the bike features frame and fork mounted racks reminiscent of the 1120 plus-wheeled bike, although these are reportedly somewhat different to address mounting security concerns with the 1120's racks. 

The bike also features a frame bag, dropper post, and a splash guard under the down tube. This all comes in at $3999.99USD with a SRAM Eagle GX drive train. 

Comments: Trek just released this bike as a "Winter Edition" Farley 9. Let that sink in for a moment.....

Hello Spring! So, yeah.....weird timing there Trek! But beyond that, I will note that this bike can certainly be used year-round. Anyway.... The SRAM drive train, aluminum frame, and spec of mostly Bontrager stuff is okay, but 4G for this? Hmm..... I know things have gone up in price, but this bike has aluminum rims, tubes (!), and GX is kinda low spec here. I get it- It is a turnkey solution to roll out the door ready for off-road touring and adventure, and that counts for something. And I realize prices have gone up some, but still.... Great idea. A bit spendy for what you get. 

SRAM AXS Force. (Image courtesy of SRAM)

SRAM Announces New AXS Force Group:

Looking a lot more like the upper end Red group now, SRAM has refreshed the look of Force AXS and refined a few bits, most notably the hood/lever shapes and the power meter integration with the chain rings. 

Otherwise this is pretty much standard fare for SRAM AXS Force. 

Comments: Lots of chatter online about the power meter integration with the chain rings here. (This only applies for the roadie crank set. The "Wide" and 1X crank sets have spindle based power meters) I guess I see their point when a direct mount chain ring set with integrated power meter costs something North of four hundred bucks, but when you are dealing with race-level gear, stuff found on bikes costing around 10K, what's four hundred bucks for a part? Honestly, the entire economics of a "road racing bike" is bonkers these days. 

Chris Skogen from his Instagram post.

 Almanzo 100 Founder & Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer Chris Skogen Announces Gravel Events:

The Almanzo 100 founder and Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer, Chris Skogen surprised many of his social media followers on Thursday last week with an announcement that he was going to facilitate three off-pavement events. The biggest surprise? None of the proposed events will be in Minnesota. 

The only event Mr. Skogen did release a date for was a September 16th date for this year at an undisclosed location in "Northern New Mexico". Here are the details he did specify in his announcement: 

• 100 miles
• 100 people
• $0 to enter
• 0 sponsorships
• 0 brand affiliations

Mr. Skogen did also say that if you wanted more details then you should email him. (Ironically he did not give his email out in the announcement) Mr. Skogen did say that more information would be forthcoming, however. 

Plans are to follow up the 2023 event with one in Oregon and then in 2024 in "upstate New York".

Comments: That the proposed events are "non-sponsored, no brand affiliations" does not surprise me. This is Chris Skogen we are talking about and this is in keeping with his character when it comes to events. I did also hear Chris say at the GCHoF installment ceremonies last year that he had been "bitten by the bug" again and that he was considering putting on an event again. I guess this is evidence of that. 

Stay tuned. If I find out anything more I'll post here about it all.  UPDATE: Mr. Skogen released these details today (Saturday,March 4th, 2023)

How to enter…

Mail a letter (yes, a letter…in the mail…I know, I’m such an ass) of declaration which must include the following:

Name (first & last)
Age
Email
Favorite book
Something from your local bike shop (if this one is a struggle, DM me)

That’s it. Just those five things, in an envelope sent to the address below before 4/20/23.

Mister Skogen
959 Weeks Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414

You might be asking why to the letter and maybe even why this event needs to exist at all. Don’t worry I’ll explain later.

For now, the first 100 people to register by letter will be notified accordingly.

Randomonium: Three Things

Trek Farley 9 Winter Edition (Image courtesy of Trek Bikes)

 Trek Offers Fully Decked Out Farley:

Trek announced a new Farley fat bike this past week that is fully kitted out. this turnkey fat bike is ready for a long haul, bikepacking, or a quick over-night outing. 

Made from aluminum, the bike features frame and fork mounted racks reminiscent of the 1120 plus-wheeled bike, although these are reportedly somewhat different to address mounting security concerns with the 1120's racks. 

The bike also features a frame bag, dropper post, and a splash guard under the down tube. This all comes in at $3999.99USD with a SRAM Eagle GX drive train. 

Comments: Trek just released this bike as a "Winter Edition" Farley 9. Let that sink in for a moment.....

Hello Spring! So, yeah.....weird timing there Trek! But beyond that, I will note that this bike can certainly be used year-round. Anyway.... The SRAM drive train, aluminum frame, and spec of mostly Bontrager stuff is okay, but 4G for this? Hmm..... I know things have gone up in price, but this bike has aluminum rims, tubes (!), and GX is kinda low spec here. I get it- It is a turnkey solution to roll out the door ready for off-road touring and adventure, and that counts for something. And I realize prices have gone up some, but still.... Great idea. A bit spendy for what you get. 

SRAM AXS Force. (Image courtesy of SRAM)

SRAM Announces New AXS Force Group:

Looking a lot more like the upper end Red group now, SRAM has refreshed the look of Force AXS and refined a few bits, most notably the hood/lever shapes and the power meter integration with the chain rings. 

Otherwise this is pretty much standard fare for SRAM AXS Force. 

Comments: Lots of chatter online about the power meter integration with the chain rings here. (This only applies for the roadie crank set. The "Wide" and 1X crank sets have spindle based power meters) I guess I see their point when a direct mount chain ring set with integrated power meter costs something North of four hundred bucks, but when you are dealing with race-level gear, stuff found on bikes costing around 10K, what's four hundred bucks for a part? Honestly, the entire economics of a "road racing bike" is bonkers these days. 

Chris Skogen from his Instagram post.

 Almanzo 100 Founder & Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer Chris Skogen Announces Gravel Events:

The Almanzo 100 founder and Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer, Chris Skogen surprised many of his social media followers on Thursday last week with an announcement that he was going to facilitate three off-pavement events. The biggest surprise? None of the proposed events will be in Minnesota. 

The only event Mr. Skogen did release a date for was a September 16th date for this year at an undisclosed location in "Northern New Mexico". Here are the details he did specify in his announcement: 

• 100 miles
• 100 people
• $0 to enter
• 0 sponsorships
• 0 brand affiliations

Mr. Skogen did also say that if you wanted more details then you should email him. (Ironically he did not give his email out in the announcement) Mr. Skogen did say that more information would be forthcoming, however. 

Plans are to follow up the 2023 event with one in Oregon and then in 2024 in "upstate New York".

Comments: That the proposed events are "non-sponsored, no brand affiliations" does not surprise me. This is Chris Skogen we are talking about and this is in keeping with his character when it comes to events. I did also hear Chris say at the GCHoF installment ceremonies last year that he had been "bitten by the bug" again and that he was considering putting on an event again. I guess this is evidence of that. 

Stay tuned. If I find out anything more I'll post here about it all.  UPDATE: Mr. Skogen released these details today (Saturday,March 4th, 2023)

How to enter…

Mail a letter (yes, a letter…in the mail…I know, I’m such an ass) of declaration which must include the following:

Name (first & last)
Age
Email
Favorite book
Something from your local bike shop (if this one is a struggle, DM me)

That’s it. Just those five things, in an envelope sent to the address below before 4/20/23.

Mister Skogen
959 Weeks Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414

You might be asking why to the letter and maybe even why this event needs to exist at all. Don’t worry I’ll explain later.

For now, the first 100 people to register by letter will be notified accordingly.

Sea Otter '17 News

The Manitou Mastodon Fat Bike Fork

Manitou Mastodon:

Sea Otter is starting today and so you will be seeing a bunch of news that will be pretty cool for us cyclists out here. One of the new things that hasn't been so secret, but which I've known about in detail for a few months, is the Manitou Mastodon fat bike fork. This fork will be a game changer in the fat biking segment.

Announcement details will verify whether I am correct here, but this fork was developed with Trek for their Farley fat bikes for 2018. It is my understanding that will be the only avenue that the Mastodon will be available through for the 2018 model year.

Trek will spec one aluminum Farley, a carbon Farley, and the full suspension fat bike they make with this fork. Availability is slated for this Fall.  Trek fat bikes will also all be 27.5 based only, so you know this fork will clear their tires. I've also heard that this fork clears a massive Vee Tire Snowshoe 2XL with room to spare on a 110mm wide carbon rim. So, it can handle any fat bike tire made today.

The Mastodon will also be the fork that makes the Bluto obsolete. Not only frm a standpoint of clearance, but also from a standpoint of performance. The fork is said to be not only better in terms of damping, rebound, and ride feel, but also in terms of stiffness. Trek has a long history of working with suspension makers to provide riders with highly tuned, high performing shocks, and it sounds like they have pulled it off again with Manitou.

If, as I suspect, Trek is the only avenue for this fork for 2018, you may have to wait until mid-year next year to get one aftermarket. Stay tuned on that one though.......

Get ready for a ton of "mid-plus" 29"er tires to hit the news

Terrene Teases A New 29"er Tire:

Sea Otter should be rife with tire news and especially in a "new" category of tires which will fill in the gap between 2.5" and 3.0"tires. The complaint many "plus" bike riders have had is that the tires available now have side walls which are too flexy and that leads to a vagueness in corners which is not desirable for trail bike handling. Trouble is that to make 3.0 inch tires stiff enough to withstand cornering forces, the tires would have to gain weight, (more material = more weight), and that would not work out for trail riders either.

The answer is to down size the tire, beef up the sidewalls, and provide puncture protection and/or sidewall protection. This as yet unnamed Terrene teaser in a 29 X 2.8 is such a tire. Look for tires like these to be getting spec on the longer travel 29" trail bikes we are sure to be seeing out there as well at Sea Otter. I showed you all the new Rock Shox Lyric fork news last week and keeping in mind that the Lyric will be available in a 29'er form with up to 180mm travel, I would think this tire, or tires like it, were what was in mind for that fork.

Stay tuned for the conclusion of this puzzle..... The pieces are coming together.

That's the new WTB Byway on my Twin Six Standard Rando

WTB Announces Another Road Plus Tire- The Byway:

And finally- In news that I have been a part of in a small way for several weeks, WTB will announce another 650B X 47mm tire, the Byway, and it will be available immediately to purchase from dealers.

This is a real similar casing, if not exactly the same, as the previous Horizon Road Plus tire but the Byway has actual tread. That means it has far better grip on dirt and mud than the smooth Horizon does.

I have already been riding the Byway for several weeks and it does very well on dirt and it even powered me through some mud/sand pretty easily that I came across on Petrie Road here a while back. So, it is pretty impressive in that respect. The combination of the minimalist tread design and width give this tire a flotation characteristic instead of the "pizza cutter" effect many 700c based tires have in similar situations.

I am reviewing this tire for RidingGravel.com, but there is more- This is the tire which is one of the options for Trans Iowa finishers to choose from. WTB is giving away one free set of tires to any official finisher of T.I.v13. They will get to pick from the 700 X 37mm Riddler, 700 X 45mm Riddler, or the Byway.

Sea Otter '17 News

The Manitou Mastodon Fat Bike Fork

Manitou Mastodon:

Sea Otter is starting today and so you will be seeing a bunch of news that will be pretty cool for us cyclists out here. One of the new things that hasn't been so secret, but which I've known about in detail for a few months, is the Manitou Mastodon fat bike fork. This fork will be a game changer in the fat biking segment.

Announcement details will verify whether I am correct here, but this fork was developed with Trek for their Farley fat bikes for 2018. It is my understanding that will be the only avenue that the Mastodon will be available through for the 2018 model year.

Trek will spec one aluminum Farley, a carbon Farley, and the full suspension fat bike they make with this fork. Availability is slated for this Fall.  Trek fat bikes will also all be 27.5 based only, so you know this fork will clear their tires. I've also heard that this fork clears a massive Vee Tire Snowshoe 2XL with room to spare on a 110mm wide carbon rim. So, it can handle any fat bike tire made today.

The Mastodon will also be the fork that makes the Bluto obsolete. Not only frm a standpoint of clearance, but also from a standpoint of performance. The fork is said to be not only better in terms of damping, rebound, and ride feel, but also in terms of stiffness. Trek has a long history of working with suspension makers to provide riders with highly tuned, high performing shocks, and it sounds like they have pulled it off again with Manitou.

If, as I suspect, Trek is the only avenue for this fork for 2018, you may have to wait until mid-year next year to get one aftermarket. Stay tuned on that one though.......

Get ready for a ton of "mid-plus" 29"er tires to hit the news

Terrene Teases A New 29"er Tire:

Sea Otter should be rife with tire news and especially in a "new" category of tires which will fill in the gap between 2.5" and 3.0"tires. The complaint many "plus" bike riders have had is that the tires available now have side walls which are too flexy and that leads to a vagueness in corners which is not desirable for trail bike handling. Trouble is that to make 3.0 inch tires stiff enough to withstand cornering forces, the tires would have to gain weight, (more material = more weight), and that would not work out for trail riders either.

The answer is to down size the tire, beef up the sidewalls, and provide puncture protection and/or sidewall protection. This as yet unnamed Terrene teaser in a 29 X 2.8 is such a tire. Look for tires like these to be getting spec on the longer travel 29" trail bikes we are sure to be seeing out there as well at Sea Otter. I showed you all the new Rock Shox Lyric fork news last week and keeping in mind that the Lyric will be available in a 29'er form with up to 180mm travel, I would think this tire, or tires like it, were what was in mind for that fork.

Stay tuned for the conclusion of this puzzle..... The pieces are coming together.

That's the new WTB Byway on my Twin Six Standard Rando

WTB Announces Another Road Plus Tire- The Byway:

And finally- In news that I have been a part of in a small way for several weeks, WTB will announce another 650B X 47mm tire, the Byway, and it will be available immediately to purchase from dealers.

This is a real similar casing, if not exactly the same, as the previous Horizon Road Plus tire but the Byway has actual tread. That means it has far better grip on dirt and mud than the smooth Horizon does.

I have already been riding the Byway for several weeks and it does very well on dirt and it even powered me through some mud/sand pretty easily that I came across on Petrie Road here a while back. So, it is pretty impressive in that respect. The combination of the minimalist tread design and width give this tire a flotation characteristic instead of the "pizza cutter" effect many 700c based tires have in similar situations.

I am reviewing this tire for RidingGravel.com, but there is more- This is the tire which is one of the options for Trans Iowa finishers to choose from. WTB is giving away one free set of tires to any official finisher of T.I.v13. They will get to pick from the 700 X 37mm Riddler, 700 X 45mm Riddler, or the Byway.

Friday News And Views

Trek joins the fat bike full suspension bike category with the Farley EX line.

 FN&V- The Sea Weasel Edition

New Trek Fat Bikes:

Trek dropped a bunch of new fat bike info for dealers to chew on which will represent the bikes you will see this Fall in dealer showrooms. Don't go lookin' for these just yet!

The bikes, highlighted by a new, full suspension line up dubbed Farley EX, are pretty cool and heavily laden with 27.5" fat bike wheels. There will be new Barbegazzi 27.5 X 4.5" wheels on some, while many others will get the 27.5 X 3.8" wheels. Trek will also still do some hard tails in the 26 X 4.7" wheel format, but from what we are seeing, it sure looks like they are pushing the 27.5" stuff hard. My guess is that the 26"er stuff will go away at some point. Or maybe Trek will see that as the WSD version of a Farley's wheel size? Hard to say, but it is obvious that Trek is going big on the 27.5 format.

Come June, Trek will also offer a Bontrager branded dropper seat post in three travel lengths and, for now, only in a 31.6mm diameter size. The post is a cable actuated, hydraulic, infinitely adjustable post that can be internally routed.

The last tidbit I have is that we, (at the shop I work at), have it on good authority that a Manitou fat bike fork is coming that will "blow the Bluto out of the water", so look for news on that later in the year. There also should be some news on aftermarket availability of the tires, rims, and possibly the fork as well.

We were digging this version of the new Farley hardtails which will feature the Barbegazzi 27.5 X 4.5" tires.

Salsa Redpoint: You know, I don't think I saw the word "enduro" in the entire description!

Salsa Redpoint- Long Travel FS:

It's not a Pony Rustker, and it is not a Horsetheif. Nope- it's a Redpoint. It is a slack angled, long travel 27.5"er bike which can also fit 26Plus.  How much travel? Well, 150mm out back, and that's a heck of a lot. Salsa bills it as the " ...150mm travel trail bike for tackling the roughest and most remote all-mountain terrain." So, yeah.........probably not the bike to have in the Mid-West, but it is a cool option for sure. I may be mistaken, but it is the first dedicated "small wheel" sized full suspension bike since the demise of the El Kaboing about six or seven years ago. (The Pony Rustler doesn't count because it is not a 27.5 specific design.)

You have to hand it to Salsa Cycles. For a smaller brand, they have a really diverse full suspension line up. From the XC-ish Spearfish, the wheel morphing Pony Rustler and Horsethief models, to full suspension fat bikes, and now this long travel, back country brawler.

Electronic XT: Much, much more affordable.

  Shimano Deore XT Di2:

Of course, it was a no-brainer after we saw XTR, but the cost to gain entry to Di2 XTR a was a huge barrier. Not that the new Di2 XT is "cheap", by any means, but it is much less expensive. Definitely a "do-able" price for many folks. There are the eleven speeds, and the single or double front crank sets. This, in my opinion, is the group that kills SRAM Eagle. Unless you have issues with rear tire/front derailleur/chain clearances, (ie: Fat bikes, Plus bikes, and some FS 29"ers), then Di2 XT takes your front derailleur fears and kills them. Oh! But you say that SRAM only requires one shifter? So does Di2 mtb stuff. It can actually shift the front derailleur for you at the most appropriate moment. So, I just do not buy all of this, "I dropped a chain once so front derailleurs are bad." talk anymore. Unless it is a clearance issue, the smaller jumps between gears on XT Di2 and the front derailleur giving you a wide range of gears simply trumps the huge gearing jumps on the low end of the cassette on Eagle, or XX-1, for that matter.

Yes, it is great we have workable 1X stuff from SRAM, because many designs would not be possible on fat bikes, Plus Bikes, and FS 29"ers without that stuff, but for everything else, this new Shimano stuff pretty much does everything better.

2017 Raleigh Stuntman. Image pinched from Grannygear of Twenty Nine Inches

 Don't Call Them "Gravel Bikes" Anymore!

The blog here is littered with posts that I have written which say that "gravel grinder bike" or "gravel bikes" probably is not the best idea for a name for this newer genre of road-ish, fat tired, go anywhere machines. I even did a post which got 40-50 comments suggesting new names for this sort of bike several years ago.

Well, the industry finally figured out that, quite frankly, "gravel" as a term pisses people off. So, what to call these bikes? Well, the newest, (ahem! Salsa Cycles circa 2008 anyone?), buzzword is "adventure bikes" and I am noticing a lot of companies are pushing that term now. Raleigh, Breezer, and Marin were all pushing new concepts out at Sea Otter yesterday for 2017 releases that are being pigeon holed into this "new" category.

Probably the "poster child" for this sort of bike right now is Cannondale's Slate, but what I am seeing coming along now is more akin to Raleigh's preview of the '17 "Stuntman" bike. You could say "monster cross", and you wouldn't be wrong. Two inch wide tires, a 1X drive train, and a dropper post! This bike is, for all intents and purposes, also a look at the '17 Tamland, which will feature less width on the tires, but will also have this carbon fork, integrated head set, and will likely have the exact same frame. It's not a stretch to say that, because I can slot in 2" wide tires on my current, 2014 model Tamland, albeit just barely. It wouldn't take much to get to a place where there was a bit more clearance, Clarence.

Okay, that's a wrap for this week! Have a great weekend and stay safe!

Friday News And Views

Trek joins the fat bike full suspension bike category with the Farley EX line.

 FN&V- The Sea Weasel Edition

New Trek Fat Bikes:

Trek dropped a bunch of new fat bike info for dealers to chew on which will represent the bikes you will see this Fall in dealer showrooms. Don't go lookin' for these just yet!

The bikes, highlighted by a new, full suspension line up dubbed Farley EX, are pretty cool and heavily laden with 27.5" fat bike wheels. There will be new Barbegazzi 27.5 X 4.5" wheels on some, while many others will get the 27.5 X 3.8" wheels. Trek will also still do some hard tails in the 26 X 4.7" wheel format, but from what we are seeing, it sure looks like they are pushing the 27.5" stuff hard. My guess is that the 26"er stuff will go away at some point. Or maybe Trek will see that as the WSD version of a Farley's wheel size? Hard to say, but it is obvious that Trek is going big on the 27.5 format.

Come June, Trek will also offer a Bontrager branded dropper seat post in three travel lengths and, for now, only in a 31.6mm diameter size. The post is a cable actuated, hydraulic, infinitely adjustable post that can be internally routed.

The last tidbit I have is that we, (at the shop I work at), have it on good authority that a Manitou fat bike fork is coming that will "blow the Bluto out of the water", so look for news on that later in the year. There also should be some news on aftermarket availability of the tires, rims, and possibly the fork as well.

We were digging this version of the new Farley hardtails which will feature the Barbegazzi 27.5 X 4.5" tires.

Salsa Redpoint: You know, I don't think I saw the word "enduro" in the entire description!

Salsa Redpoint- Long Travel FS:

It's not a Pony Rustker, and it is not a Horsetheif. Nope- it's a Redpoint. It is a slack angled, long travel 27.5"er bike which can also fit 26Plus.  How much travel? Well, 150mm out back, and that's a heck of a lot. Salsa bills it as the " ...150mm travel trail bike for tackling the roughest and most remote all-mountain terrain." So, yeah.........probably not the bike to have in the Mid-West, but it is a cool option for sure. I may be mistaken, but it is the first dedicated "small wheel" sized full suspension bike since the demise of the El Kaboing about six or seven years ago. (The Pony Rustler doesn't count because it is not a 27.5 specific design.)

You have to hand it to Salsa Cycles. For a smaller brand, they have a really diverse full suspension line up. From the XC-ish Spearfish, the wheel morphing Pony Rustler and Horsethief models, to full suspension fat bikes, and now this long travel, back country brawler.

Electronic XT: Much, much more affordable.

  Shimano Deore XT Di2:

Of course, it was a no-brainer after we saw XTR, but the cost to gain entry to Di2 XTR a was a huge barrier. Not that the new Di2 XT is "cheap", by any means, but it is much less expensive. Definitely a "do-able" price for many folks. There are the eleven speeds, and the single or double front crank sets. This, in my opinion, is the group that kills SRAM Eagle. Unless you have issues with rear tire/front derailleur/chain clearances, (ie: Fat bikes, Plus bikes, and some FS 29"ers), then Di2 XT takes your front derailleur fears and kills them. Oh! But you say that SRAM only requires one shifter? So does Di2 mtb stuff. It can actually shift the front derailleur for you at the most appropriate moment. So, I just do not buy all of this, "I dropped a chain once so front derailleurs are bad." talk anymore. Unless it is a clearance issue, the smaller jumps between gears on XT Di2 and the front derailleur giving you a wide range of gears simply trumps the huge gearing jumps on the low end of the cassette on Eagle, or XX-1, for that matter.

Yes, it is great we have workable 1X stuff from SRAM, because many designs would not be possible on fat bikes, Plus Bikes, and FS 29"ers without that stuff, but for everything else, this new Shimano stuff pretty much does everything better.

2017 Raleigh Stuntman. Image pinched from Grannygear of Twenty Nine Inches

 Don't Call Them "Gravel Bikes" Anymore!

The blog here is littered with posts that I have written which say that "gravel grinder bike" or "gravel bikes" probably is not the best idea for a name for this newer genre of road-ish, fat tired, go anywhere machines. I even did a post which got 40-50 comments suggesting new names for this sort of bike several years ago.

Well, the industry finally figured out that, quite frankly, "gravel" as a term pisses people off. So, what to call these bikes? Well, the newest, (ahem! Salsa Cycles circa 2008 anyone?), buzzword is "adventure bikes" and I am noticing a lot of companies are pushing that term now. Raleigh, Breezer, and Marin were all pushing new concepts out at Sea Otter yesterday for 2017 releases that are being pigeon holed into this "new" category.

Probably the "poster child" for this sort of bike right now is Cannondale's Slate, but what I am seeing coming along now is more akin to Raleigh's preview of the '17 "Stuntman" bike. You could say "monster cross", and you wouldn't be wrong. Two inch wide tires, a 1X drive train, and a dropper post! This bike is, for all intents and purposes, also a look at the '17 Tamland, which will feature less width on the tires, but will also have this carbon fork, integrated head set, and will likely have the exact same frame. It's not a stretch to say that, because I can slot in 2" wide tires on my current, 2014 model Tamland, albeit just barely. It wouldn't take much to get to a place where there was a bit more clearance, Clarence.

Okay, that's a wrap for this week! Have a great weekend and stay safe!

Friday News And Views

This one's a keeper with B+

Mid-Fat Plans:

I've been fortunate enough to be able to try WTB Trailblazer 2.8 B+ tires on a couple of my single speeds and, of course, on the "Fat Fargo". I've been duly impressed with the wheels on all three bikes I've tried them on. So much so that I plan on building up at least one more set of wheels to accommodate a plan I have to return another oft neglected bike I have to the general rotation.

Of course, you regular readers all have seen my scribings about how this wheel size is coming hard for 2016. That has been confirmed with a bevy of brands doing several models of this size of wheel. Not only that, but the most recent article in "BRAIN" on the wheel size quotes some tire company honches as saying "..it's here to stay", when asked about B+ tires. 29+? Nary a mention, except that asides were made to the wheel size by the trade mag in the article. This fits right in with what I think is going to happen. 29+ = too big of a diameter. Mid-fat/B+ tires = just right. That's because of the overall diameters. 27.5+/B+ is right at 29". The larger 29+ is 31" in diameter which is just too big.

I am going to do a 29+ set up alongside my B+ wheels and then I will get a much better comparison. Both sizes should be up and running here before the end of the year. Stay tuned on that......

Breaking out the Tamland for Gravel Worlds

Gravel Worlds:

The last big event for me this year is Gravel Worlds in Lincoln, Nebraska. This time I am busting out the Tamland. There are a few reasons why this bike gets the call up.

First of all, according to intell received via the PCL, there won't be near the steep climbing that the GTDRI had, and there won't be long distances between resupplies like there were in the Dirty Kanza. What I am seeing is that we will have to be ready to ride up to 40 miles at a crack. That makes things a bit lighter, in terms of what to carry. That doesn't look like Fat Fargo territory to me. With the Tamland's 1 to 1 low gear, I should be fine with the hills, and I can carry four to five water bottles with my Chaff Bag set up and the cages that the Tamland has. Plenty of fluids for 40 mile stints. Then all I have to carry, really, is some food and tools. I'll likely pack up the Tangle Bag for that.

The fenders will come off, and I may slap the Gravel Grinder tires by Challenge back on there, but the Clement MSO's will do fine as well. At any rate, this is the rig I am going with.

Another studded fat bike tire option from Trek (Image pilfered from the Trek World site)

Trek World Bits:

There were a few things not seen before shown at Trek World, and those seemed to all be fat bike related. First of all, there is the new fat bike tire with the goofy name "Gnarwahl". (groan)

Okay..... Besides the unfortunate naming of this tire, it looks to be a solid offering. Some say it doesn't have enough studs, but how many do you need? (Note: I don't think you need very many, but that's me.) It's listed as a 3.8"er, which maybe leaves out those wanting big, wide, floaty meats, but I can see commuters digging this or those that use fat bikes as indoor trainer substitutes being all over this. I know I won't be on board, because I don't feel the need for the studs on fat bike tires, but I probably am in the minority here. By the way, I have heard this will be out in November, but I haven't seen a price on these as yet.

It bears repeating that Trek has moved from 170mm rear spacing to 190mm based spacing on the Farleys. There also will be a full carbon frame, the Farley 9.8, and that bike will feature carbon rims as well. Just think "Carbon Beargrease" with a wider rear. Then you'll pretty much have the idea.

Fat Bikes On The Wane?

 Interestingly, as an aside about fat bike tires, in the referenced "BRAIN" article about plus sized tires that I mentioned above, there is some insight in to fat bike tires. It seems that while molds are not the hold up, the tooling to make the bladders and what not to make the casings is a huge investment that many tire manufacturers are not willing to ante up for. As examples, it appears that neither Continental or WTB are anywhere near pulling the trigger on fat bike tire production. My perception is that the fat bike market is a saturated one now, so I would suspect that tire introductions will not be as numerous as they were a couple years ago. I could be wrong, but I bet this year will be another soft one in fat bike sales, and from what I am seeing, that does not bode well for the future of fat bikes growth as a product category.

I am blaming this B+/29+ for part of that. I am reading a few stories and seeing quotes that refer to the "plus bike market" as being the "sweet spot" from the perspective that it hits a lot of points that riders want in fat tires without the ponderous handling and weight of a fat bike. Makes sense to me, at least from the perspective of cyclists living South of the snow belt.

That's it from this dude! Have a great weekend and keep the rubber side down!

Friday News And Views

This one's a keeper with B+

Mid-Fat Plans:

I've been fortunate enough to be able to try WTB Trailblazer 2.8 B+ tires on a couple of my single speeds and, of course, on the "Fat Fargo". I've been duly impressed with the wheels on all three bikes I've tried them on. So much so that I plan on building up at least one more set of wheels to accommodate a plan I have to return another oft neglected bike I have to the general rotation.

Of course, you regular readers all have seen my scribings about how this wheel size is coming hard for 2016. That has been confirmed with a bevy of brands doing several models of this size of wheel. Not only that, but the most recent article in "BRAIN" on the wheel size quotes some tire company honches as saying "..it's here to stay", when asked about B+ tires. 29+? Nary a mention, except that asides were made to the wheel size by the trade mag in the article. This fits right in with what I think is going to happen. 29+ = too big of a diameter. Mid-fat/B+ tires = just right. That's because of the overall diameters. 27.5+/B+ is right at 29". The larger 29+ is 31" in diameter which is just too big.

I am going to do a 29+ set up alongside my B+ wheels and then I will get a much better comparison. Both sizes should be up and running here before the end of the year. Stay tuned on that......

Breaking out the Tamland for Gravel Worlds

Gravel Worlds:

The last big event for me this year is Gravel Worlds in Lincoln, Nebraska. This time I am busting out the Tamland. There are a few reasons why this bike gets the call up.

First of all, according to intell received via the PCL, there won't be near the steep climbing that the GTDRI had, and there won't be long distances between resupplies like there were in the Dirty Kanza. What I am seeing is that we will have to be ready to ride up to 40 miles at a crack. That makes things a bit lighter, in terms of what to carry. That doesn't look like Fat Fargo territory to me. With the Tamland's 1 to 1 low gear, I should be fine with the hills, and I can carry four to five water bottles with my Chaff Bag set up and the cages that the Tamland has. Plenty of fluids for 40 mile stints. Then all I have to carry, really, is some food and tools. I'll likely pack up the Tangle Bag for that.

The fenders will come off, and I may slap the Gravel Grinder tires by Challenge back on there, but the Clement MSO's will do fine as well. At any rate, this is the rig I am going with.

Another studded fat bike tire option from Trek (Image pilfered from the Trek World site)

Trek World Bits:

There were a few things not seen before shown at Trek World, and those seemed to all be fat bike related. First of all, there is the new fat bike tire with the goofy name "Gnarwahl". (groan)

Okay..... Besides the unfortunate naming of this tire, it looks to be a solid offering. Some say it doesn't have enough studs, but how many do you need? (Note: I don't think you need very many, but that's me.) It's listed as a 3.8"er, which maybe leaves out those wanting big, wide, floaty meats, but I can see commuters digging this or those that use fat bikes as indoor trainer substitutes being all over this. I know I won't be on board, because I don't feel the need for the studs on fat bike tires, but I probably am in the minority here. By the way, I have heard this will be out in November, but I haven't seen a price on these as yet.

It bears repeating that Trek has moved from 170mm rear spacing to 190mm based spacing on the Farleys. There also will be a full carbon frame, the Farley 9.8, and that bike will feature carbon rims as well. Just think "Carbon Beargrease" with a wider rear. Then you'll pretty much have the idea.

Fat Bikes On The Wane?

 Interestingly, as an aside about fat bike tires, in the referenced "BRAIN" article about plus sized tires that I mentioned above, there is some insight in to fat bike tires. It seems that while molds are not the hold up, the tooling to make the bladders and what not to make the casings is a huge investment that many tire manufacturers are not willing to ante up for. As examples, it appears that neither Continental or WTB are anywhere near pulling the trigger on fat bike tire production. My perception is that the fat bike market is a saturated one now, so I would suspect that tire introductions will not be as numerous as they were a couple years ago. I could be wrong, but I bet this year will be another soft one in fat bike sales, and from what I am seeing, that does not bode well for the future of fat bikes growth as a product category.

I am blaming this B+/29+ for part of that. I am reading a few stories and seeing quotes that refer to the "plus bike market" as being the "sweet spot" from the perspective that it hits a lot of points that riders want in fat tires without the ponderous handling and weight of a fat bike. Makes sense to me, at least from the perspective of cyclists living South of the snow belt.

That's it from this dude! Have a great weekend and keep the rubber side down!

Friday News And Views

Prototype Bonty tires and rims.

Looking ahead to the Fall, there are going to be a slew of new fat bike components and bikes coming out. I've spoken about Trek's plans before here, and now I've heard a bit more about that. In fact, the shop where I work will be getting in two new models of Farley fat bikes, one with a Bluto front suspension fork and Bontrager tubeless ready fat bike tires on Sun Ringle' manufactured fat bike rims which also will be tubeless ready.

There will be demo bikes at most Trek dealers, (including the shop where I work), for prospective buyers to try out the new rigs. Furthermore; it has been confirmed to me that Trek will have these rims and tires in supply for aftermarket sales. I've no idea what the pricing will be, but that may be information that isn't set in stone just yet.

This is kind of a big deal in the fat bike world because it is going to put some of the established companies on notice that their non-tubeless, high priced merchandise needs to be retired in favor of some better priced, tubeless ready stuff. I just can't see 150 dollar plus tires and rims that are not tubeless ready surviving sub 100 dollar tires and tubeless ready rims from the new players in the game.

Oh.......and I heard Trek is working on a 29+ bike. So there is that as well. Think about tires and rims with regard to that development. It's going to change things up. This should get interesting.

One is a "better 26"er", one is a 29"er

Not The Best Of Both Worlds: 

My friends in SoCal took on a challenge to see if the revolution in 27.5" wheels was better, worse, or just different than 29"ers recently when they did this review for Twenty Nine Inches.  (Disclaimer: I had nothing at all to do with the testing or findings reported on in that review.) They put identical Scott bikes, with the only difference being wheel size, to the test on their backyard trails and found pretty much what I've said all along about 27.5 inch sized mountain bike wheels. Mainly that they are not the "best of both worlds", (meaning traits of 26 inch and 29 inch), and really, how could they be? I heard it said that basically one has to think about 27.5 as a "better 26"er". That's pretty much spot on.

So, essentially you can look at the "revolution" of the 27.5"/650B wheel as a lateral move based mostly on marketing to make the old somewhat better and somewhat new. Not that there is anything wrong with 27.5"ers, but it isn't what many had said it was/would be in 2007 when the 27.5"ers hit the airwaves. The hyperbole surrounding the introduction of this wheel size was really not correct. That said, there is a place for smaller sized mtb wheels, be they 559ISO or 584ISO based hoops. Smaller statured folk, big, ungainly traveled suspension bikes built to be pinged down mountain sides, and really......just to have a different flavor, it's all good, but I still think it is funny how 26"er stuff is disappearing fast, which when you stop to consider it, makes a point about the necessity of having both 26 and 27.5 around as choices. Obviously, manufacturers, at least, are saying you don't need that, and the findings of my friends in SoCal seem to say similar things.

My image of Jay Barre from T.I.V10

Movin' On:

A few things come to mind with regard to this image of Jay Barre from Trans Iowa V10.

• First off is that Jay Barre is moving from Illinois to California and his going away party is soon. Wish I could be there to wish him well!
• Secondly, this may be the most popular image I have ever posted. It's been shared numerous times and I keep seeing it pop up all over. I am not much of a photographer when it comes to a comparison of some of my friends who are excellent, but I guess I captured "something" that resonates with a lot of folks here. Of course, the feat behind it is compelling, so there is that! 
• The Feat: Yes, Jay Barre did the toughest Trans Iowa ever fixed gear and rode 336 miles in just under 34 hours straight. But that's just the tip of the iceberg, as it were. You see, whenever I think about Jay, I think about that heartbreaking scene in "300 Miles Of Gravel" where Jay missed Checkpoint #1 by two minutes and was DQ'ed. The look on his face gets me every time when I see that scene even now. Well, Jay came back in V8 and finished the course on a geared bike. Then in V9 he did it on a single speed freewheel set up, and now, in V10, on a fixed gear. That's never been done like that.

Good luck Jay on your move to California!

And that's a wrap on today's news and views. Keep the rubber side down and go have an adventure on your bike!

Friday News And Views

Prototype Bonty tires and rims.

Looking ahead to the Fall, there are going to be a slew of new fat bike components and bikes coming out. I've spoken about Trek's plans before here, and now I've heard a bit more about that. In fact, the shop where I work will be getting in two new models of Farley fat bikes, one with a Bluto front suspension fork and Bontrager tubeless ready fat bike tires on Sun Ringle' manufactured fat bike rims which also will be tubeless ready.

There will be demo bikes at most Trek dealers, (including the shop where I work), for prospective buyers to try out the new rigs. Furthermore; it has been confirmed to me that Trek will have these rims and tires in supply for aftermarket sales. I've no idea what the pricing will be, but that may be information that isn't set in stone just yet.

This is kind of a big deal in the fat bike world because it is going to put some of the established companies on notice that their non-tubeless, high priced merchandise needs to be retired in favor of some better priced, tubeless ready stuff. I just can't see 150 dollar plus tires and rims that are not tubeless ready surviving sub 100 dollar tires and tubeless ready rims from the new players in the game.

Oh.......and I heard Trek is working on a 29+ bike. So there is that as well. Think about tires and rims with regard to that development. It's going to change things up. This should get interesting.

One is a "better 26"er", one is a 29"er

Not The Best Of Both Worlds: 

My friends in SoCal took on a challenge to see if the revolution in 27.5" wheels was better, worse, or just different than 29"ers recently when they did this review for Twenty Nine Inches.  (Disclaimer: I had nothing at all to do with the testing or findings reported on in that review.) They put identical Scott bikes, with the only difference being wheel size, to the test on their backyard trails and found pretty much what I've said all along about 27.5 inch sized mountain bike wheels. Mainly that they are not the "best of both worlds", (meaning traits of 26 inch and 29 inch), and really, how could they be? I heard it said that basically one has to think about 27.5 as a "better 26"er". That's pretty much spot on.

So, essentially you can look at the "revolution" of the 27.5"/650B wheel as a lateral move based mostly on marketing to make the old somewhat better and somewhat new. Not that there is anything wrong with 27.5"ers, but it isn't what many had said it was/would be in 2007 when the 27.5"ers hit the airwaves. The hyperbole surrounding the introduction of this wheel size was really not correct. That said, there is a place for smaller sized mtb wheels, be they 559ISO or 584ISO based hoops. Smaller statured folk, big, ungainly traveled suspension bikes built to be pinged down mountain sides, and really......just to have a different flavor, it's all good, but I still think it is funny how 26"er stuff is disappearing fast, which when you stop to consider it, makes a point about the necessity of having both 26 and 27.5 around as choices. Obviously, manufacturers, at least, are saying you don't need that, and the findings of my friends in SoCal seem to say similar things.

My image of Jay Barre from T.I.V10

Movin' On:

A few things come to mind with regard to this image of Jay Barre from Trans Iowa V10.

• First off is that Jay Barre is moving from Illinois to California and his going away party is soon. Wish I could be there to wish him well!
• Secondly, this may be the most popular image I have ever posted. It's been shared numerous times and I keep seeing it pop up all over. I am not much of a photographer when it comes to a comparison of some of my friends who are excellent, but I guess I captured "something" that resonates with a lot of folks here. Of course, the feat behind it is compelling, so there is that! 
• The Feat: Yes, Jay Barre did the toughest Trans Iowa ever fixed gear and rode 336 miles in just under 34 hours straight. But that's just the tip of the iceberg, as it were. You see, whenever I think about Jay, I think about that heartbreaking scene in "300 Miles Of Gravel" where Jay missed Checkpoint #1 by two minutes and was DQ'ed. The look on his face gets me every time when I see that scene even now. Well, Jay came back in V8 and finished the course on a geared bike. Then in V9 he did it on a single speed freewheel set up, and now, in V10, on a fixed gear. That's never been done like that.

Good luck Jay on your move to California!

And that's a wrap on today's news and views. Keep the rubber side down and go have an adventure on your bike!

More Choices In Fat Tires & Rims Soon?

Click on this image to make it bigger- then look at the tire.

I've been thinking a lot about fat bike tires again, ever since I rode the Snow Dog the other day, and I have determined that the fat bike tires we have pretty much suck.Yep. They are sub-par at what they are meant to do, (or as in the case of being tubeless- not do), and if fat bikes are to really get going, we're going to need some better tires.

Surly makes great tread patterns. Their tire maker makes okay casings. But the consistency of quality has been suspect over the long run, and they are not sold in a tubeless version. This won't do going forward. Oh, and I am also looking at you, 45NRTH, your tires are essentially the same in this regard.

Don't tell me your split tube method is working great. That is missing the point. We should not have to use split tubes, or Gorilla Tape, or any of that backyard nonsense. There should be tubeless tires and rims for fat bikes. The bigger brands are already getting beaten to the punch on this by China and the smaller brands. (And they jumped on 27.5"ers because they didn't want to repeat the "missing out" that happened when they drug their feet on 29"ers?)

Vee Rubber makes a couple of tubeless compatible tires, but rims for that are rare, and the Vee Rubber company has not quite figured out how to make a big, voluminous tire that works like Surly's do. So, there are our two tire company choices- Surly/45NRTH on one hand and Vee Rubber on the other, and they both stink overall. (Yes- I realize I am being somewhat of a spoiled sport here since only five years ago there was exactly one tire choice!)

Well, this image I posted today from Twitter shows a Trek Farley with a Bontrager branded tire. Bontrager has an excellent tubeless ready system. Will they be smart and bring it over to fat bikes? Will their tires be something that has the tubeless ready nature and work as well as Surly tires plus be big? What about Specialized's Ground Control fat bike tires? What will Specialized bring to the table. I've heard rumors that Kenda Tire is doing a fat bike tire. What will that be like?

The fact that we can even legitimately ask such questions now is reason to get excited about the possibilities. Let's hope we don't get let down by all of them.

More Choices In Fat Tires & Rims Soon?

Click on this image to make it bigger- then look at the tire.

I've been thinking a lot about fat bike tires again, ever since I rode the Snow Dog the other day, and I have determined that the fat bike tires we have pretty much suck.Yep. They are sub-par at what they are meant to do, (or as in the case of being tubeless- not do), and if fat bikes are to really get going, we're going to need some better tires.

Surly makes great tread patterns. Their tire maker makes okay casings. But the consistency of quality has been suspect over the long run, and they are not sold in a tubeless version. This won't do going forward. Oh, and I am also looking at you, 45NRTH, your tires are essentially the same in this regard.

Don't tell me your split tube method is working great. That is missing the point. We should not have to use split tubes, or Gorilla Tape, or any of that backyard nonsense. There should be tubeless tires and rims for fat bikes. The bigger brands are already getting beaten to the punch on this by China and the smaller brands. (And they jumped on 27.5"ers because they didn't want to repeat the "missing out" that happened when they drug their feet on 29"ers?)

Vee Rubber makes a couple of tubeless compatible tires, but rims for that are rare, and the Vee Rubber company has not quite figured out how to make a big, voluminous tire that works like Surly's do. So, there are our two tire company choices- Surly/45NRTH on one hand and Vee Rubber on the other, and they both stink overall. (Yes- I realize I am being somewhat of a spoiled sport here since only five years ago there was exactly one tire choice!)

Well, this image I posted today from Twitter shows a Trek Farley with a Bontrager branded tire. Bontrager has an excellent tubeless ready system. Will they be smart and bring it over to fat bikes? Will their tires be something that has the tubeless ready nature and work as well as Surly tires plus be big? What about Specialized's Ground Control fat bike tires? What will Specialized bring to the table. I've heard rumors that Kenda Tire is doing a fat bike tire. What will that be like?

The fact that we can even legitimately ask such questions now is reason to get excited about the possibilities. Let's hope we don't get let down by all of them.

Friday News And Views

Slippy-Slide!

Tires.You gotta have them. I like tires a lot too, and I've mounted thousands of them in my lifetime as a mechanic on bicycles (14 years), and as a car mechanic, (5.5 years). One thing that I've always thought was missing with regard to bicycle tires versus the car tires I used to mount was the "slippy-slide".

Slippy-slide......that's a technical term! The "real name" of the product escapes me now- if I ever knew it- but it was indispensable for mounting car tires. You slathered on this snotty-goo substance on tire beads with a brush before mounting the tires to rims. Then when you hit the tire with an air compressor, the beads would slip into place on the rim, instead of hanging up part way. Pop-pop! The tires would seat right up every time.

Well, with bicycles, you generally go dry with the tires, and because we typically use higher pressures and lighter components than automobiles, the beads set up without any extra goo involved. But sometimes they do not, and when they do not, it can be a real hassle to get them to "bead up". (Think 27" steel wheels and tires as a for instance.) Tubeless tires are another good place where I have used various substances to help the bead seating process along. All were messy and wet. Now there is Uncle Dick's Bead Slip. 

It's an organic blend of non-toxic ingredients that you apply with a brush to a tire's beads and it is supposed to make things go easier. I just got some samples at the shop where I work to try out. I have only used it once on a tubeless installation just yesterday. I hit the beads with the Bead Slip and mounted up the tire. A blast from a compressor and...........silence. It was eery! I've never had a bead set up so easily and quietly. More research is necessary, but first impressions are that it is good stuff.

Trek's Farley fat bike.

Fat Bike News: 

Trek's Farley is hitting shops now and with only 500 units produced, the model is hard to come by for dealers, in fact- it is impossible to get unless your dealer pre-ordered some. Unfortunately even the extra 500 that Trek authorized to be built are spoken for as well.  (Yes- that equals 1000 Farleys.)

There are frame sets out there to get though, so if you are so inclined, the blue or black colors are supposedly order-able. The frames are hydro-formed aluminum and come with a fork as well.

As confirmed by a Trek employee, Trek did do just what I theorized earlier this year and rushed this out to market just to have product out there to compete with all the others jumping in. That totally explains the Surly rims and tires on the Farley.

Word is now that Trek will have their own tires and rims for 2015, (read next Fall), and will have "several models" in the fat bike line. Interesting...... This certainly means that Bontrager branded fat bike tires are coming, and rims as well, one would think. Bontrager does a great tubeless tire and rim strip for most types of cycling. It would stand to reason that some sort of tubeless tire and rim strip may be in the offing for fat bikes from Trek. I would also predict that it will be Trek, (and very likely Specialized), that will pay for the tooling to get suspension forks for fat bikes from Rock Shox. Next Summer I would bet that much of this speculation will either be common knowledge or disproved. I'm betting it will mostly be true. We'll see......

Surprised....

And finally....

The big surprise for me this season is not that carbon fat bikes are of great interest to riders, but that they are actually selling. But not that they are actually selling, it's that the best ones are selling. The really expensive ones!

While I won't get into numbers here, the shop where I work is selling these things and by "selling" I mean "sold". I gotta say that surprises me a bit. I can't put my finger on it, but there must be a few reasons why this is.

Obviously, fat bikes have captured the imagination of several folks. Of them, more than a few are thinking traditional fat bikes are heavy. (Well, they are, but that isn't that big a deal for many, or to me.) Now with weight reigned in to the point that most 29"er hard tails weigh more than a fat bike of the highest caliber, you have to wonder if that is finally enticing some folks to jump in. That or folks are just all about carbon fiber anything......I don't know. 

Whatever the motivation, a sub-23 pound fat bike with a wide range drive train is pretty unbelievable.  And with regard to the Salsa, you have to believe that it could go lighter with a tubeless set up, and maybe some lighter parts,or what have you. Updated: Word has it that the actual weights of the XX1 equipped Beargrease carbon rigs has "ballooned" to over 24lbs in reality. Still- that's darn light for a fat bike, but don't go get rid of your super-light 29"er hard tails just yet!

Okay, that's a wrap. I hope you all get a bike ride in and enjoy your weekend.....

Friday News And Views

Slippy-Slide!

Tires.You gotta have them. I like tires a lot too, and I've mounted thousands of them in my lifetime as a mechanic on bicycles (14 years), and as a car mechanic, (5.5 years). One thing that I've always thought was missing with regard to bicycle tires versus the car tires I used to mount was the "slippy-slide".

Slippy-slide......that's a technical term! The "real name" of the product escapes me now- if I ever knew it- but it was indispensable for mounting car tires. You slathered on this snotty-goo substance on tire beads with a brush before mounting the tires to rims. Then when you hit the tire with an air compressor, the beads would slip into place on the rim, instead of hanging up part way. Pop-pop! The tires would seat right up every time.

Well, with bicycles, you generally go dry with the tires, and because we typically use higher pressures and lighter components than automobiles, the beads set up without any extra goo involved. But sometimes they do not, and when they do not, it can be a real hassle to get them to "bead up". (Think 27" steel wheels and tires as a for instance.) Tubeless tires are another good place where I have used various substances to help the bead seating process along. All were messy and wet. Now there is Uncle Dick's Bead Slip. 

It's an organic blend of non-toxic ingredients that you apply with a brush to a tire's beads and it is supposed to make things go easier. I just got some samples at the shop where I work to try out. I have only used it once on a tubeless installation just yesterday. I hit the beads with the Bead Slip and mounted up the tire. A blast from a compressor and...........silence. It was eery! I've never had a bead set up so easily and quietly. More research is necessary, but first impressions are that it is good stuff.

Trek's Farley fat bike.

Fat Bike News: 

Trek's Farley is hitting shops now and with only 500 units produced, the model is hard to come by for dealers, in fact- it is impossible to get unless your dealer pre-ordered some. Unfortunately even the extra 500 that Trek authorized to be built are spoken for as well.  (Yes- that equals 1000 Farleys.)

There are frame sets out there to get though, so if you are so inclined, the blue or black colors are supposedly order-able. The frames are hydro-formed aluminum and come with a fork as well.

As confirmed by a Trek employee, Trek did do just what I theorized earlier this year and rushed this out to market just to have product out there to compete with all the others jumping in. That totally explains the Surly rims and tires on the Farley.

Word is now that Trek will have their own tires and rims for 2015, (read next Fall), and will have "several models" in the fat bike line. Interesting...... This certainly means that Bontrager branded fat bike tires are coming, and rims as well, one would think. Bontrager does a great tubeless tire and rim strip for most types of cycling. It would stand to reason that some sort of tubeless tire and rim strip may be in the offing for fat bikes from Trek. I would also predict that it will be Trek, (and very likely Specialized), that will pay for the tooling to get suspension forks for fat bikes from Rock Shox. Next Summer I would bet that much of this speculation will either be common knowledge or disproved. I'm betting it will mostly be true. We'll see......

Surprised....

And finally....

The big surprise for me this season is not that carbon fat bikes are of great interest to riders, but that they are actually selling. But not that they are actually selling, it's that the best ones are selling. The really expensive ones!

While I won't get into numbers here, the shop where I work is selling these things and by "selling" I mean "sold". I gotta say that surprises me a bit. I can't put my finger on it, but there must be a few reasons why this is.

Obviously, fat bikes have captured the imagination of several folks. Of them, more than a few are thinking traditional fat bikes are heavy. (Well, they are, but that isn't that big a deal for many, or to me.) Now with weight reigned in to the point that most 29"er hard tails weigh more than a fat bike of the highest caliber, you have to wonder if that is finally enticing some folks to jump in. That or folks are just all about carbon fiber anything......I don't know. 

Whatever the motivation, a sub-23 pound fat bike with a wide range drive train is pretty unbelievable.  And with regard to the Salsa, you have to believe that it could go lighter with a tubeless set up, and maybe some lighter parts,or what have you. Updated: Word has it that the actual weights of the XX1 equipped Beargrease carbon rigs has "ballooned" to over 24lbs in reality. Still- that's darn light for a fat bike, but don't go get rid of your super-light 29"er hard tails just yet!

Okay, that's a wrap. I hope you all get a bike ride in and enjoy your weekend.....