Big News Day: Salsa Cycles & WTB

 Yesterday was a big news day in cycling for new product with Salsa Cycles announcing a new mountain bike platform and WTB announcing new puncture protection gravel tires. First up, let's take a look at the news from Salsa Cycles from my viewpoint. I'm sure y'all have seen the news splashed across social media and endemic news sites already, so I'll spare the techy bits here. And as always.....

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

The Cassidy aluminum frame-only option.

Okay, with that out of the way, here's what I think about these new full suspension rigs. The Blackthorn and the Cassidy are, for all intents and purposes, basically modular platforms, both being capable of being set up similarly. Only the basic spec of parts would be different here. A switch of a linkage sets and the rear shock yields a 140mm or 165mm rear travel bike. So, you can essentially buy one of these, the spare linkage sets and rear shock, and have the ability to tune your suspension for wherever the heck you want to ride. 

Versatility in wheel size is also there, as the new bikes accept 27.5+ and 29" wheels. So, although the bikes are spendy, you can, with a little extra coin, get two bikes in one basic platform. Nice. 

I'm not real big on the new 'long/slack' geometry that 'new-school' mountain bikes use. It isn't very Mid-West friendly, for one thing. Since that's where I ride, the whole new geometry thing is kind of lost on me. However; I can see the application for real mountain biking. I have ridden in places where bikes like these would make a ton of sense. For those that live in such places, bikes like the Cassidy, especially, make a lot of sense. 

The Blackthorn 140mm travel bike.

But in my opinion, the mountain biking situation is becoming much like the skiing industry. Why buy when you can rent? Going to Colorado, Utah, or Arizona? How about NorCal or even Pisgah or The Kingdom Trails? Why drag a bike from the Mid-West that, for one thing, doesn't work well here, and just rent one out there that is tuned for the riding there? Especially when three years from now, likely sooner than that, your shocks will be requiring overhauls and, more than likely, will be outdated by some new standard or feature set. 

And how about that SuperBoost, speaking of standards. Yeah..... Makes me want to buy a new bike, for sure..... Plus, in many ways, owning a big full suspension rig like this here seems like an equivalent to owning a Toyota TRD Tundra and never driving it off-road. I mean, it seems sorta useless to my mind when a rigid hard tail gets you everything you really need here. Especially with the poofy tires and wide rims we have now. 

OR- Where are all the Mid-West friendly designs Salsa used to make? It seems that the pendulum of geometry has swung hard over to the steep, long sight-line, manicured trails side. Anyway.......

Now as for the WTB thing.... They introduced a new technology for their tires, not any new tread patterns, just to clear up any confusion there. WTB sent me three sets of the SG2 infused tires about a month ago now.

I mounted the new SG2 Raddlers on the Orange Crush.

First of all- the newsy bits, techy stuff, and first impressions can be found here and here on Riding Gravel. 

Now for the opinions: It's about dang time WTB offered a puncture protection option. This has been an Achilles heel for the brand for many years. While all the other brands offered this, WTB suffered from folks having issues and puncture protection probably would have saved them a few customers. Oh well.... At least they offer it now.  

I like the way they added a supple casing and puncture protection to keep the ride feel basically the same as the 60TPI tires, which rode pretty well. WTB tires are not the smoothest riding, by any stretch, but typically those very smooth riding tires have their own issues and I've experienced them first hand. You can do a lot with air pressure and a tire like the new SG2 WTB tires which allow you to get that smoothness without the rest of the hassles of thin cased tires run tubeless. 

RidingGravel.com got three sets of tires- one set of Resolutes, one Raddler, one of the Byways. So far I am really liking the Byways, but that may be because they are the new ones to me. I put those on the G700 FLO Cycling wheels and I am really liking this combination. The Resolutes are.....Resolutes. I like Resolutes a lot. But the main thing is that they have that puncture protection belt. That's what is nice. If you need peace of mind or if you just like better air retention, or both. 

Oh, and the Raddlers? They are a curious tire. WTB and others have been sporting some models which seem to be more about trail riding than gravel/back road riding. The Raddler would fit that mold, to a degree. It isn't necessarily a bad tire for the Mid-West, but you can sure do a lot with less, as in the case of the Byways. The Raddler seems to my mind a tire best suited to Winter-ish riding around here, but that may be just me. 

More soon. 

Note: WTB sent over the three models of SG2 gravel tires to Riding Gravel for test and review at no charge. We were not paid nor bribed for this review and we always strive to give our honest thoughts and reviews throughout.

Big News Day: Salsa Cycles & WTB

 Yesterday was a big news day in cycling for new product with Salsa Cycles announcing a new mountain bike platform and WTB announcing new puncture protection gravel tires. First up, let's take a look at the news from Salsa Cycles from my viewpoint. I'm sure y'all have seen the news splashed across social media and endemic news sites already, so I'll spare the techy bits here. And as always.....

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

The Cassidy aluminum frame-only option.

Okay, with that out of the way, here's what I think about these new full suspension rigs. The Blackthorn and the Cassidy are, for all intents and purposes, basically modular platforms, both being capable of being set up similarly. Only the basic spec of parts would be different here. A switch of a linkage sets and the rear shock yields a 140mm or 165mm rear travel bike. So, you can essentially buy one of these, the spare linkage sets and rear shock, and have the ability to tune your suspension for wherever the heck you want to ride. 

Versatility in wheel size is also there, as the new bikes accept 27.5+ and 29" wheels. So, although the bikes are spendy, you can, with a little extra coin, get two bikes in one basic platform. Nice. 

I'm not real big on the new 'long/slack' geometry that 'new-school' mountain bikes use. It isn't very Mid-West friendly, for one thing. Since that's where I ride, the whole new geometry thing is kind of lost on me. However; I can see the application for real mountain biking. I have ridden in places where bikes like these would make a ton of sense. For those that live in such places, bikes like the Cassidy, especially, make a lot of sense. 

The Blackthorn 140mm travel bike.

But in my opinion, the mountain biking situation is becoming much like the skiing industry. Why buy when you can rent? Going to Colorado, Utah, or Arizona? How about NorCal or even Pisgah or The Kingdom Trails? Why drag a bike from the Mid-West that, for one thing, doesn't work well here, and just rent one out there that is tuned for the riding there? Especially when three years from now, likely sooner than that, your shocks will be requiring overhauls and, more than likely, will be outdated by some new standard or feature set. 

And how about that SuperBoost, speaking of standards. Yeah..... Makes me want to buy a new bike, for sure..... Plus, in many ways, owning a big full suspension rig like this here seems like an equivalent to owning a Toyota TRD Tundra and never driving it off-road. I mean, it seems sorta useless to my mind when a rigid hard tail gets you everything you really need here. Especially with the poofy tires and wide rims we have now. 

OR- Where are all the Mid-West friendly designs Salsa used to make? It seems that the pendulum of geometry has swung hard over to the steep, long sight-line, manicured trails side. Anyway.......

Now as for the WTB thing.... They introduced a new technology for their tires, not any new tread patterns, just to clear up any confusion there. WTB sent me three sets of the SG2 infused tires about a month ago now.

I mounted the new SG2 Raddlers on the Orange Crush.

First of all- the newsy bits, techy stuff, and first impressions can be found here and here on Riding Gravel. 

Now for the opinions: It's about dang time WTB offered a puncture protection option. This has been an Achilles heel for the brand for many years. While all the other brands offered this, WTB suffered from folks having issues and puncture protection probably would have saved them a few customers. Oh well.... At least they offer it now.  

I like the way they added a supple casing and puncture protection to keep the ride feel basically the same as the 60TPI tires, which rode pretty well. WTB tires are not the smoothest riding, by any stretch, but typically those very smooth riding tires have their own issues and I've experienced them first hand. You can do a lot with air pressure and a tire like the new SG2 WTB tires which allow you to get that smoothness without the rest of the hassles of thin cased tires run tubeless. 

RidingGravel.com got three sets of tires- one set of Resolutes, one Raddler, one of the Byways. So far I am really liking the Byways, but that may be because they are the new ones to me. I put those on the G700 FLO Cycling wheels and I am really liking this combination. The Resolutes are.....Resolutes. I like Resolutes a lot. But the main thing is that they have that puncture protection belt. That's what is nice. If you need peace of mind or if you just like better air retention, or both. 

Oh, and the Raddlers? They are a curious tire. WTB and others have been sporting some models which seem to be more about trail riding than gravel/back road riding. The Raddler would fit that mold, to a degree. It isn't necessarily a bad tire for the Mid-West, but you can sure do a lot with less, as in the case of the Byways. The Raddler seems to my mind a tire best suited to Winter-ish riding around here, but that may be just me. 

More soon. 

Note: WTB sent over the three models of SG2 gravel tires to Riding Gravel for test and review at no charge. We were not paid nor bribed for this review and we always strive to give our honest thoughts and reviews throughout.

Friday News And Views

The Ibis Ripmo AF (Image courtesy of Ibis' site)

Metal Frames Make A Comeback:

There were several years running that whenever a company made an announcement of a mountain bike, it was all about the top of the line, carbon fiber framed model, and oh yeah....it is offered in a cheaply spec'ed aluminum version too- but about that carbon fiber! 

Well, lately it seems that there is an undercurrent of announcements featuring.....aluminum framed mountain bikes? Yep. I wouldn't call it a backlash against the uber-spendy carbon rigs, because there aren't that many new-fangled metal framed ones out there, but there are some, and that is notable.

Ibis announced a new one based upon their Ripmo model and they call it the "Ripmo AF". (Yeah.....double entendre' and all) It's a cool idea with the potential to reach more riders who cannot afford to throw down 5+G on a bike that will be thrashed within an inch of its life. Basically, the metal framed bike could be said to be the bike for those who really use up equipment. They don't care about weight, scratches, and they don't want their bikes to be snapped, cracked, or punctured by their riding style or by the environment they ride in.

But of course, you can break anything. I get that, but if you have seen the manufacturers warnings about scratched carbon, well, that alone makes me think twice about a carbon mtb frame. Especially if I were to ride hard in rocky terrain. Heck, I wince whenever a piece of gravel smacks the downtube of any carbon gravel bike I ride. You just never know when that one hit will be the one to put your bike's frame into the trash bin. So, it is cool to see manufacturers looking to make aluminum something other than "the cheapest alternative".

One hangar to rule them all and.....oh, nevermind!

SRAM Attempts To Make A New Standard:

 Maybe you saw this? SRAM have announced the "UDH Hangar" for the mounting of rear derailleurs on through axle bikes from 2020 on. It is proposed as a "one solution" hangar that is compatible with all rear mountain bike derailleurs and could be compatible with all future MTB frames. That is- if the frames are designed around this standard.

Much like SRAM's DUB bottom bracket, the idea is to streamline the choices for rear hangars down to just this one. If you have ever noticed, there are probably well over 100 different hangars in existence for modern bicycles. Many are hard to source, and many are quite expensive, seeing as how they are simply machined chunks of aluminum.

So, while this is an awesome idea, I just don't see it panning out. It well may show up on several bikes, but if we think manufacturers are not going to make their own, proprietary hangars anymore, well then, we're stupid. I just do not see this SRAM UDH thing making that issue go away any more than I see DUB bottom brackets fixing the issues of the various different bottom bracket standards that are out and will continue to come out.

But kudos to SRAM for trying.

Impact Kanza? Yep!  Look for this next year.

 CrankTank Announces New Media Event At The DK200:

You probably know that the DK200 is a BIG deal in the gravel scene. It's far more than a race, these days anyway. It basically has become a week-long gathering of the gravel folk and now a company called CrankTank want the media in on the action. 

CrankTank has done something similar at the Kona Ironman event, (also a Life time Fitness event....hmmm....) and now they state that "With the shift to DTC (Direct To Consumer) that is currently happening in the bike market, we see brands introducing product to media and consumers in a more compressed timeline and we see inventory more aligned with media moments. For this reason it makes the most sense to integrate your brand communication strategy to include consumer events in your product marketing strategy. DK is the currently epicenter of gravel, and brands are jockeying for position in this emerging market. CrankTank makes it easier to bring new product to market in the gravel segment with Impact Kanza." (Read the full story on "Bicycle Retailer And industry News" here)


Curiously, CrankTank is taking the year off from doing the Kona event and another event in Sun Valley they have produced in the past. Apparently all hands are on deck to bring more media attention to gravel.

Geezer Ride Fall '19:

Hey ho! It's been a minute or two since we have had a Geezer Ride. A couple of years back, some fellas came down from Cresco and joined us for a Geezer Ride. They got "bitten", as you might say, and they decided to put one on themselves. (Which I allow, by the way) The thing was, one of the principals involved had knee work done last year, and since he wanted to ride, well, they put off doing a ride till now. That's one of the reasons why a Geezer Ride never happened in 2018. Anyway.......

This Geezer Ride is being put on by the guys at Cresco Bicycles. The date is SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5th, 2019. The time will be 7:00am for donuts and coffee at the shop. Ride starts at 8:00am sharp! 

The route has been devised by the fellas at Cresco Bikes and all I know is that they will be guiding us. It's going to be about 51 miles in length. THIS IS SELF-SUPPORTED! Bring what ya need for the distance! We will be going through one small town, so there might be some chance to resupply, but I am not sure on this. I was told it will have historical bits and only the first third has any hills while the rest is described as fairly flat. I know this area, and there are no real tough hills.

I also need to communicate that the route will not be released on digital platforms, there will be NO FILES to put into a computer, and NO MAP OF THE ROUTE beforehand. If ya wanna know what's up, ya gotta commit blindly. We'll all ride off that cliff together the day of the ride. If'n that ruffles yer feathers, don't plan on coming. This is a Geezer Ride, after all.

Check for any updates here, but I suspect that unless weather shuts us down, you won't see anything else other'n whatz there now. Geezer on!

Okay, that's a wrap for this week. Have a great weekend and ride them bicycle dealios!

Friday News And Views

The Ibis Ripmo AF (Image courtesy of Ibis' site)

Metal Frames Make A Comeback:

There were several years running that whenever a company made an announcement of a mountain bike, it was all about the top of the line, carbon fiber framed model, and oh yeah....it is offered in a cheaply spec'ed aluminum version too- but about that carbon fiber! 

Well, lately it seems that there is an undercurrent of announcements featuring.....aluminum framed mountain bikes? Yep. I wouldn't call it a backlash against the uber-spendy carbon rigs, because there aren't that many new-fangled metal framed ones out there, but there are some, and that is notable.

Ibis announced a new one based upon their Ripmo model and they call it the "Ripmo AF". (Yeah.....double entendre' and all) It's a cool idea with the potential to reach more riders who cannot afford to throw down 5+G on a bike that will be thrashed within an inch of its life. Basically, the metal framed bike could be said to be the bike for those who really use up equipment. They don't care about weight, scratches, and they don't want their bikes to be snapped, cracked, or punctured by their riding style or by the environment they ride in.

But of course, you can break anything. I get that, but if you have seen the manufacturers warnings about scratched carbon, well, that alone makes me think twice about a carbon mtb frame. Especially if I were to ride hard in rocky terrain. Heck, I wince whenever a piece of gravel smacks the downtube of any carbon gravel bike I ride. You just never know when that one hit will be the one to put your bike's frame into the trash bin. So, it is cool to see manufacturers looking to make aluminum something other than "the cheapest alternative".

One hangar to rule them all and.....oh, nevermind!

SRAM Attempts To Make A New Standard:

 Maybe you saw this? SRAM have announced the "UDH Hangar" for the mounting of rear derailleurs on through axle bikes from 2020 on. It is proposed as a "one solution" hangar that is compatible with all rear mountain bike derailleurs and could be compatible with all future MTB frames. That is- if the frames are designed around this standard.

Much like SRAM's DUB bottom bracket, the idea is to streamline the choices for rear hangars down to just this one. If you have ever noticed, there are probably well over 100 different hangars in existence for modern bicycles. Many are hard to source, and many are quite expensive, seeing as how they are simply machined chunks of aluminum.

So, while this is an awesome idea, I just don't see it panning out. It well may show up on several bikes, but if we think manufacturers are not going to make their own, proprietary hangars anymore, well then, we're stupid. I just do not see this SRAM UDH thing making that issue go away any more than I see DUB bottom brackets fixing the issues of the various different bottom bracket standards that are out and will continue to come out.

But kudos to SRAM for trying.

Impact Kanza? Yep!  Look for this next year.

 CrankTank Announces New Media Event At The DK200:

You probably know that the DK200 is a BIG deal in the gravel scene. It's far more than a race, these days anyway. It basically has become a week-long gathering of the gravel folk and now a company called CrankTank want the media in on the action. 

CrankTank has done something similar at the Kona Ironman event, (also a Life time Fitness event....hmmm....) and now they state that "With the shift to DTC (Direct To Consumer) that is currently happening in the bike market, we see brands introducing product to media and consumers in a more compressed timeline and we see inventory more aligned with media moments. For this reason it makes the most sense to integrate your brand communication strategy to include consumer events in your product marketing strategy. DK is the currently epicenter of gravel, and brands are jockeying for position in this emerging market. CrankTank makes it easier to bring new product to market in the gravel segment with Impact Kanza." (Read the full story on "Bicycle Retailer And industry News" here)


Curiously, CrankTank is taking the year off from doing the Kona event and another event in Sun Valley they have produced in the past. Apparently all hands are on deck to bring more media attention to gravel.

Geezer Ride Fall '19:

Hey ho! It's been a minute or two since we have had a Geezer Ride. A couple of years back, some fellas came down from Cresco and joined us for a Geezer Ride. They got "bitten", as you might say, and they decided to put one on themselves. (Which I allow, by the way) The thing was, one of the principals involved had knee work done last year, and since he wanted to ride, well, they put off doing a ride till now. That's one of the reasons why a Geezer Ride never happened in 2018. Anyway.......

This Geezer Ride is being put on by the guys at Cresco Bicycles. The date is SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5th, 2019. The time will be 7:00am for donuts and coffee at the shop. Ride starts at 8:00am sharp! 

The route has been devised by the fellas at Cresco Bikes and all I know is that they will be guiding us. It's going to be about 51 miles in length. THIS IS SELF-SUPPORTED! Bring what ya need for the distance! We will be going through one small town, so there might be some chance to resupply, but I am not sure on this. I was told it will have historical bits and only the first third has any hills while the rest is described as fairly flat. I know this area, and there are no real tough hills.

I also need to communicate that the route will not be released on digital platforms, there will be NO FILES to put into a computer, and NO MAP OF THE ROUTE beforehand. If ya wanna know what's up, ya gotta commit blindly. We'll all ride off that cliff together the day of the ride. If'n that ruffles yer feathers, don't plan on coming. This is a Geezer Ride, after all.

Check for any updates here, but I suspect that unless weather shuts us down, you won't see anything else other'n whatz there now. Geezer on!

Okay, that's a wrap for this week. Have a great weekend and ride them bicycle dealios!

Minus Ten Review 2009-31

I still have the frame and fork. I should throw this back together again!

Ten years ago this week I was out riding the South Side of Camp Ingawanis, now known as Ingawanis Woodland, or simply by "Ingie" as the locals know it now. Back a decade ago you could count how many people rode out there in a month on one hand.

There was a white board you were supposed to sign in on, and back then weeks would go by before it had to be erased because there were so many names it was full. I bet that would happen in a single day on a nice weekend now. But back then, the locals didn't want anything to do with driving ten miles to get to good single track. Too much bother!

Now it is no biggie, apparently. Times change and all......

Used to be a race out there too. The first one was ten years ago, and I helped volunteer for it. I keep getting reminded of this by my son. This race is a chief memory for him and he recalls being at "that race in the woods" that we counted bikers at. Keep in mind that he was all of six years old, and barely that. I mean, what can you recall vividly from being six years old? I know I cannot remember much. (But what's new, right? Ha!)

I know it was a big deal to him as he will bring up this memory at random times. I guess it was welded into his consciousness as a "big adventure" with his Dad. I don't know, but here's a piece of advice for any Dads out there that may be reading this that have youginz- You never know what will impact your child and be of importance to them in later years. Be wise- Be good. Keep your promises. Never dismiss a memory your child has even if you think it was no big deal. 

Nuff said.

Minus Ten Review 2009-31

I still have the frame and fork. I should throw this back together again!

Ten years ago this week I was out riding the South Side of Camp Ingawanis, now known as Ingawanis Woodland, or simply by "Ingie" as the locals know it now. Back a decade ago you could count how many people rode out there in a month on one hand.

There was a white board you were supposed to sign in on, and back then weeks would go by before it had to be erased because there were so many names it was full. I bet that would happen in a single day on a nice weekend now. But back then, the locals didn't want anything to do with driving ten miles to get to good single track. Too much bother!

Now it is no biggie, apparently. Times change and all......

Used to be a race out there too. The first one was ten years ago, and I helped volunteer for it. I keep getting reminded of this by my son. This race is a chief memory for him and he recalls being at "that race in the woods" that we counted bikers at. Keep in mind that he was all of six years old, and barely that. I mean, what can you recall vividly from being six years old? I know I cannot remember much. (But what's new, right? Ha!)

I know it was a big deal to him as he will bring up this memory at random times. I guess it was welded into his consciousness as a "big adventure" with his Dad. I don't know, but here's a piece of advice for any Dads out there that may be reading this that have youginz- You never know what will impact your child and be of importance to them in later years. Be wise- Be good. Keep your promises. Never dismiss a memory your child has even if you think it was no big deal. 

Nuff said.

Salsa's New FS Models Portend A Change In Standards

Anyone notice the new logo too?

If you pay any attention at all to mountain biking, and to Salsa Cycles in particular, you know that their full suspension line up was due for an overhaul soon. In the fast paced world of mountain biking, anything a few years old or older stands a fair chance at becoming "antique". Suspension systems and geometries for bikes ten years ago are so woefully poor and out of fashion now that if you were to walk into a repair shop to ask about fixing one, you'd likely get a weird look and a long story about why you shouldn't do it. Not that you couldn't, but with the advancements in technology and geometry, it wouldn't make sense to, most likely.

And with Salsa's latest full suspension offerings out now, there is something here of note that portends a sea change in "standards" which is going to, most likely, render every full suspension 29"er out now an antique in five years. That new "standard" is called "Super Boost". But before we get into that, let's have a look at the Salsa FS line up, shall we?

The "Rustler" 27.5"er

Horsethief 29"er

Spearfish 29"er

Note: All Imagery Courtesy Of Salsa Cycles.

Okay, those are the bikes, and there are more colors and specs and all of that. I'm not going to rehash those things, as you have likely been subjected to enough of that media blitz anyway. If not- GO HERE.  

Pivot Cycles was the first to champion "Super Boost" in 2016

I'm going to focus on why this debut signals the end of what you know for rear wheels for full suspension bikes going forward. It's not Boost, it is Super Boost. (Although, notably, the Rustler 27.5"er is Boost rear end)

When someone decided to try a full suspension 29"er trail bike in the "oughties", one of the biggest negatives was wheel flex. Laterally, 29"ers pretty much sucked compared to the rigidity that 26"ers had in terms of wheel stiffness. This is one of the reasons why many said 29"ers would never be for anything beyond XC bikes. Another issue was the longer chain stays. Shorter chain stays were valued for their ability to lend a more playful feel to the rider on a trail bike. Lofting the front end was easier, and getting your weight behind the rear wheel was next to impossible with many 29'ers of those days.

A few things came along which made 29"ers a viable choice for big country, and eventually, even down hill bikes. First was the 1X system from SRAM which eliminated the need for a front derailleur. This allowed the designers of mountain bikes to shorten chain stays, make room for bigger tires, and move suspension pivot points to locations that were off limits previously. This was an advantage to those wanting to use 29"er wheels in their FS designs. Secondly, Boost rear end spacing incrementally increased the spacing between the rear flanges of the rear hub, triangulating the rear wheel spokes in a more rigid fashion than before. This allowed designers to utilize 29"er wheels in longer travel applications. So, if a little was good, more could be better. This is essentially what "Super Boost" does. Refer to the chart above/left and click the image to embiggen to see what the differences are between Boost and Super Boost.

But why will Super Boost become the de-facto rear spacing for full suspension bikes? Well, think about this for a minute. If Salsa is making Super Boost full suspension available on a mass scale, then they needed to have partners to supply certain bits to accommodate this change. Hubs are the lynchpin of this standard. Without Super Boost hubs, this idea is not getting off the ground. Salsa is, at best, a "mid-tier" brand, not a company with enough economic "horsepower" to effect a change on the scale of industry-wide acceptance of a new standard without other companies joining in. WTB is listed as the brand for the new hubs.WTB is also not going to start branding Super Boost hubs without a larger OE order than what Salsa can muster. So, it stands to reason that other brands will be debuting Super Boost rear suspension models. My best guess is that around Sea Otter time, we will see these new bikes being trotted out.

Pivot Cycles was actually the first brand I ever saw promoting Super Boost, back in 2016, (see here), but other small brands have championed the size since then. Now some companies in the boutique world actually support Super Boost, like Industry 9. So, this didn't come from left field. This has been bubbling to the surface, and now it is poised to become the rear spacing/hub standard going forward.

Salsa's New FS Models Portend A Change In Standards

Anyone notice the new logo too?

If you pay any attention at all to mountain biking, and to Salsa Cycles in particular, you know that their full suspension line up was due for an overhaul soon. In the fast paced world of mountain biking, anything a few years old or older stands a fair chance at becoming "antique". Suspension systems and geometries for bikes ten years ago are so woefully poor and out of fashion now that if you were to walk into a repair shop to ask about fixing one, you'd likely get a weird look and a long story about why you shouldn't do it. Not that you couldn't, but with the advancements in technology and geometry, it wouldn't make sense to, most likely.

And with Salsa's latest full suspension offerings out now, there is something here of note that portends a sea change in "standards" which is going to, most likely, render every full suspension 29"er out now an antique in five years. That new "standard" is called "Super Boost". But before we get into that, let's have a look at the Salsa FS line up, shall we?

The "Rustler" 27.5"er

Horsethief 29"er

Spearfish 29"er

Note: All Imagery Courtesy Of Salsa Cycles.

Okay, those are the bikes, and there are more colors and specs and all of that. I'm not going to rehash those things, as you have likely been subjected to enough of that media blitz anyway. If not- GO HERE.  

Pivot Cycles was the first to champion "Super Boost" in 2016

I'm going to focus on why this debut signals the end of what you know for rear wheels for full suspension bikes going forward. It's not Boost, it is Super Boost. (Although, notably, the Rustler 27.5"er is Boost rear end)

When someone decided to try a full suspension 29"er trail bike in the "oughties", one of the biggest negatives was wheel flex. Laterally, 29"ers pretty much sucked compared to the rigidity that 26"ers had in terms of wheel stiffness. This is one of the reasons why many said 29"ers would never be for anything beyond XC bikes. Another issue was the longer chain stays. Shorter chain stays were valued for their ability to lend a more playful feel to the rider on a trail bike. Lofting the front end was easier, and getting your weight behind the rear wheel was next to impossible with many 29'ers of those days.

A few things came along which made 29"ers a viable choice for big country, and eventually, even down hill bikes. First was the 1X system from SRAM which eliminated the need for a front derailleur. This allowed the designers of mountain bikes to shorten chain stays, make room for bigger tires, and move suspension pivot points to locations that were off limits previously. This was an advantage to those wanting to use 29"er wheels in their FS designs. Secondly, Boost rear end spacing incrementally increased the spacing between the rear flanges of the rear hub, triangulating the rear wheel spokes in a more rigid fashion than before. This allowed designers to utilize 29"er wheels in longer travel applications. So, if a little was good, more could be better. This is essentially what "Super Boost" does. Refer to the chart above/left and click the image to embiggen to see what the differences are between Boost and Super Boost.

But why will Super Boost become the de-facto rear spacing for full suspension bikes? Well, think about this for a minute. If Salsa is making Super Boost full suspension available on a mass scale, then they needed to have partners to supply certain bits to accommodate this change. Hubs are the lynchpin of this standard. Without Super Boost hubs, this idea is not getting off the ground. Salsa is, at best, a "mid-tier" brand, not a company with enough economic "horsepower" to effect a change on the scale of industry-wide acceptance of a new standard without other companies joining in. WTB is listed as the brand for the new hubs.WTB is also not going to start branding Super Boost hubs without a larger OE order than what Salsa can muster. So, it stands to reason that other brands will be debuting Super Boost rear suspension models. My best guess is that around Sea Otter time, we will see these new bikes being trotted out.

Pivot Cycles was actually the first brand I ever saw promoting Super Boost, back in 2016, (see here), but other small brands have championed the size since then. Now some companies in the boutique world actually support Super Boost, like Industry 9. So, this didn't come from left field. This has been bubbling to the surface, and now it is poised to become the rear spacing/hub standard going forward.

Friday News And Views

All the engagements

Industry 9 Introduces New Hubs:

Industry 9, the high engagement, colorful, US made hub company from North Carolina introduced a new, high engagement hub this week. You maybe saw that somewhere on social media. If not, it is a new, closer tolerance hub that engages slightly quicker than the old ones.

Kind of a big deal, but in the grand scheme of things, it is a minor curiosity. That said, you'd think that the Pope had declared he was an atheist, by the reactions I saw, and I think that is just weird. Some folks declared you should just buy another, "instant engagement hub" from another US company. Some said the math was wrong that I-9 used. Some folks said the new hubs would have more drag......yada,yada,yada...... 

Here's my take: High engagement hubs are okay as long as they are (1) strong, (2) free rolling, and (3) don't weigh a lot. Otherwise, I could care less what the engagement is, what the degrees of free play is, or what have you. Why? Because I never have failed to make a move, climb a hill, or accelerate due to "lack of engagement". Now, I have had free hubs slip, pawls crap out, and bearings go bad. Those are far, far higher on my list of concerns than "free play" or whatever. But don't get into it with someone who is a free hub zealot. Sheesh! 

Oh yeah. Noises. Free hub "clackety-clack". Some folks get bent about the noises, or lack thereof. Honestly, I usually tune that out if it exists and don't mind if it doesn't. I've got far more important things to pay attention to when I ride, like wild flowers, the clouds, how the Sun hits that field "just so", and getting up the next hill. Your mileage may vary. 

But yeah, I like anodized hubs, US made stuff, and wheels. So, I may be getting a set of these this year.

Salsa Cycles twitter account posted this yesterday.

New FS Bike From Salsa Cycles On The Horizon?

In the cycling industry there is a concept called "product cycle", in which a certain concept or way of making something serves the market and then is "retired", redesigned from the "ground up", or what have you. The full suspension line up from Salsa Cycles seems to have run its course, judging by the lack of available product, so it seemed reasonable to think yesterday that a teaser seen on twitter was the harbinger of something new.

Words can be hints as well as images, so the text on the Tweet I saw referred to "rustling" and of course, you probably remember the Ponyrustler FS bike Salsa did for a few years. Yes.....that could as easily be a way to put us off the trail too. I realize that. But none the less, here we have a hint at something new coming soon.

You know, Frostbike is coming up next weekend, right? Well, there is a good chance that whatever is being hinted at here will be revealed then. If it isn't ready, then I'd say Sea Otter would be your next best release date. But I am betting Frostbike will be the venue that will be the reveal for whatever the heck it is we're looking at here.

Frostbike! Ah......the memories! I recall the good times well. I haven't been to a Frostbike for several years now. The reason being is that my workplace is in charge of the "getting registered" bit and well.......it never happens. So, once again, I will not be at Frostbike. Just know that it is beyond my control to do anything about that these days.

Waterloo is to be commended for at least attempting to look out for cyclists and peds.

Taking Care Of The Citizens- All Of Them:

Multi-use paths, (bike paths), are great. Recreation is important, but many communities are just now figuring out that plain ol recreating doesn't promote long term healthy lifestyles. (generally speaking here) However; practical, purposeful routes- routes that actually are useful and take you somewhere and back again- really do help communities get more healthy. People are apt to use routes to schools, stores, and work places more often than recreational trails and therefore they become healthier, they reduce "traffic", and cut down on gas and oil use. That is great to see happening where it is happening and all, but if you don't maintain routes in Winter, then everything comes to a screeching halt.

This goes for pedestrians as well. If you think people stop using routes for foot and cycle traffic in Winter, well, you haven't seen all the tracks I'm seeing out there. Tracks of people, bicycles, people with walkers, carts, and people with small children in strollers. There are a LOT of people that cannot, won't, or don't often drive a motor vehicle. I know it seems crazy, but it is true.

That's why I find a bit of pride welling up inside me when I see how well Waterloo, Iowa takes care of its paths in Winter. The image here is from my commute on Thursday morning, just two short days after a major snowstorm. Nicely done! I was able to make it to work by bicycle easily since the City of Waterloo has chosen to take care of its people. Thank you!

And that is a wrap for this week. I hope y'all have a fantastic weekend!

Friday News And Views

All the engagements

Industry 9 Introduces New Hubs:

Industry 9, the high engagement, colorful, US made hub company from North Carolina introduced a new, high engagement hub this week. You maybe saw that somewhere on social media. If not, it is a new, closer tolerance hub that engages slightly quicker than the old ones.

Kind of a big deal, but in the grand scheme of things, it is a minor curiosity. That said, you'd think that the Pope had declared he was an atheist, by the reactions I saw, and I think that is just weird. Some folks declared you should just buy another, "instant engagement hub" from another US company. Some said the math was wrong that I-9 used. Some folks said the new hubs would have more drag......yada,yada,yada...... 

Here's my take: High engagement hubs are okay as long as they are (1) strong, (2) free rolling, and (3) don't weigh a lot. Otherwise, I could care less what the engagement is, what the degrees of free play is, or what have you. Why? Because I never have failed to make a move, climb a hill, or accelerate due to "lack of engagement". Now, I have had free hubs slip, pawls crap out, and bearings go bad. Those are far, far higher on my list of concerns than "free play" or whatever. But don't get into it with someone who is a free hub zealot. Sheesh! 

Oh yeah. Noises. Free hub "clackety-clack". Some folks get bent about the noises, or lack thereof. Honestly, I usually tune that out if it exists and don't mind if it doesn't. I've got far more important things to pay attention to when I ride, like wild flowers, the clouds, how the Sun hits that field "just so", and getting up the next hill. Your mileage may vary. 

But yeah, I like anodized hubs, US made stuff, and wheels. So, I may be getting a set of these this year.

Salsa Cycles twitter account posted this yesterday.

New FS Bike From Salsa Cycles On The Horizon?

In the cycling industry there is a concept called "product cycle", in which a certain concept or way of making something serves the market and then is "retired", redesigned from the "ground up", or what have you. The full suspension line up from Salsa Cycles seems to have run its course, judging by the lack of available product, so it seemed reasonable to think yesterday that a teaser seen on twitter was the harbinger of something new.

Words can be hints as well as images, so the text on the Tweet I saw referred to "rustling" and of course, you probably remember the Ponyrustler FS bike Salsa did for a few years. Yes.....that could as easily be a way to put us off the trail too. I realize that. But none the less, here we have a hint at something new coming soon.

You know, Frostbike is coming up next weekend, right? Well, there is a good chance that whatever is being hinted at here will be revealed then. If it isn't ready, then I'd say Sea Otter would be your next best release date. But I am betting Frostbike will be the venue that will be the reveal for whatever the heck it is we're looking at here.

Frostbike! Ah......the memories! I recall the good times well. I haven't been to a Frostbike for several years now. The reason being is that my workplace is in charge of the "getting registered" bit and well.......it never happens. So, once again, I will not be at Frostbike. Just know that it is beyond my control to do anything about that these days.

Waterloo is to be commended for at least attempting to look out for cyclists and peds.

Taking Care Of The Citizens- All Of Them:

Multi-use paths, (bike paths), are great. Recreation is important, but many communities are just now figuring out that plain ol recreating doesn't promote long term healthy lifestyles. (generally speaking here) However; practical, purposeful routes- routes that actually are useful and take you somewhere and back again- really do help communities get more healthy. People are apt to use routes to schools, stores, and work places more often than recreational trails and therefore they become healthier, they reduce "traffic", and cut down on gas and oil use. That is great to see happening where it is happening and all, but if you don't maintain routes in Winter, then everything comes to a screeching halt.

This goes for pedestrians as well. If you think people stop using routes for foot and cycle traffic in Winter, well, you haven't seen all the tracks I'm seeing out there. Tracks of people, bicycles, people with walkers, carts, and people with small children in strollers. There are a LOT of people that cannot, won't, or don't often drive a motor vehicle. I know it seems crazy, but it is true.

That's why I find a bit of pride welling up inside me when I see how well Waterloo, Iowa takes care of its paths in Winter. The image here is from my commute on Thursday morning, just two short days after a major snowstorm. Nicely done! I was able to make it to work by bicycle easily since the City of Waterloo has chosen to take care of its people. Thank you!

And that is a wrap for this week. I hope y'all have a fantastic weekend!

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.

Deadwood Sus Introduced By Salsa Cycles

Deadwood Sus XT-. Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

Yesterday Salsa Cycles introduced the Deadwood Sus, which isn't a Deadwood with a suspension fork. That is what I immediately thought when I saw the name. Nope. This is like a "Ponyrustler Plus". It is a full suspension 29 plus wheeled bike. Not a drop bar 29+ bike with a suspension fork.

Okay?

Now with that out of the way, you can begin to calm down. This bike introduction was fairly obvious. Spearfish and Horsethief platforms giving way to their next logical conclusions, the aforementioned Ponyrustler and now this- the Deadwood Sus. I guess the name pool is running dry at Salsa Cycles or something. Talk about slightly odd..........

Anywho.... Yeah, big wagon wheeler suspension devices are rare. This one is more than likely well sorted out. Most of the Split Pivot stuff has been really nice to ride. I see Salsa is saying a few things here which I find to be smart, and if well executed, could well make this bike a really great ride for mountain biking all day, for fast paced, ground covering racing, and for just a great exploration tool. The things they are saying relate to how they are supposedly tuning the suspension to work with the big, puffy tires. The tires have some inherent suspension qualities. Let them do that work, and make the frame's suspension do the rest- rebound control, taking over damping on bigger impacts, and not getting in the way of the rider's propelling the bike. If Salsa truly dialed this in, I think they are on to something here.

Deadwood Sus GX-1- Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

No doubt that burly carbon front triangle is going to be a stiff foundation for this idea. I read it is the very same front triangle as the Ponyrustler. Many will roll their eyes at the Press Fit style bottom bracket. I guess I would have rather have seen a threaded bottom bracket myself. They are easy to keep creak-free. That said, my Press Fit style bottom bracket in my Blackborow has been absolutely creak free. That's going on three years now come this Fall. I haven't exactly treated that bike with kid gloves either. So, maybe I would not say this Deadwood's Press Fit bottom bracket is a deal breaker for me. I'd give it a shot.

Internal routing? It's the "thing to do" these days. I'm not a fan. I don't care how good you make those frame grommet entry points, that still is a place for crap to get into your frame. Conversely, I like internal routing for the dropper posts on any bike. I know......not a very consistent philosophy there! Maybe when those new fangled wireless dropper posts come out, I can hate on internal dropper post routing as well. That'll be a good day! Anyway, the Deadwood has mostly external routing. That's a good thing.

Okay.....back to the bike! Suspension travel is limited to a whopping 91mm out back. That's a hair over 3.5" for you metrically challenged folks out there. You'll notice that this ain't much squish compared to other trail bikes with monkey motion these days. Salsa, (and all the media wonks that they invited to take a whack at this thing before it was publicly announced), say it "feels like more", or that the bottoming out of the suspension "wasn't noticeable". Draw your own conclusions there. I say this- there is no substitute for suspension travel. This is no knock on the Deadwood, (I'm leaving off the silly "Sus" part of the moniker), because I am sure that it does the job it was intended for. I just get kind of tired of all the word forging that is masking that this is a short travel, XC-ish bike. You know what? There isn't anything at all wrong with that.

Deadwood XO- Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles.

Salsa Cycles compares this new bike to their Spearfish short travel full suspension bike, and that bike is really a replacement for the old Dos Niner soft tail bike. Salsa has a history of short travel full suspension bikes going back over a decade. Why try to hide that? (To be completely fair, they aren't) I know some folks won't get it- why not have five inches of rear wheel travel here? Ummm.....because this is supposed to be an XC-ish adventure machine. That's why. (Note- This is my take, not necessarily Salsa Cycle's or anyone else's.)

Oddly enough, there is an introductory video for this bike which shows two riders doing nothing but ripping these new Deadwoods down hill. There are no shots of climbing with this, or much to indicate that you should use this for cross country type of fun. To be completely fair, some of the invited media did write that part up. Apparently, it actually climbs well, if not a bit more ponderous and slower than other bikes. The point is that some media wonks seem bent on positioning this bike as some sort of magical unicorn of a suspension device that makes 91mm feel like.......something more. 

What it is more of is "expensive". The "entry level", as of now, is at $3800.00. I say "as of now" because if you dig into the website on the Deadwood you'll find the following statement: "This frame offers a 340 grams weight savings over the aluminum version." Wait...... What? There is an aluminum version? 

Maybe there "will be." Or maybe it is a mistake. I've discovered mistakes like that before on Salsa's website, so that wouldn't be a surprise. Time will tell which it is, a description of an as yet unheralded bike, or a mistake.

An aluminum version would be slightly less spendy, but make no mistake, starting at $3800.00 and topping out at $6G is not making this bike attractive to a wide range of riders. I suppose it is the price you pay to play these days. Still, if it were within my reach, I would take something like this in a heartbeat to El Paso's Franklin Mountains trails or anywhere that demanded a tool like this.