Weekend Ride Report

Stayed off the computer for the majority of the weekend, ( mission accomplished!) and got to run up to Decorah, Iowa to meet up with Jeff O'Gara, Rich (Deke) Gosen, and other locals to check on some of the trails we're going to use for The Big Wheeled Ballyhoo in June on the weekend of the 23rd and the 24th.

I met up with the guys at the trail head. They were ready to rock and roll right when I pulled up, so out I jump and grab my stuff to ride as quick as I can. I always feel nervous when folks are waiting on me, since I really don't like waiting on others. So, off I go into a big climb right off the bat after sitting in my car for an hour and a half. Can you say, redline? Yeah, and it was that way pretty much for the next hour and a half straight, before I finally settled down. (More on that in a minute)




The trails up there are all singletrack, all up and down, and 90% off camber. Tough, challenging, and lots of fun. I was shown a "Pines Section East" and later a "Pines Section West", either one of which was twice as long as any other pine section I've ridden in Iowa, that was super flowy and fast. Most of the mileage was done on the classic, newer trails put in since 2004 up there though.

I was getting a groove going, (finally) when I approached a big down/up section. Probably a drop in and right back out of about 15 to 20 feet with a narrow exit between two busted up tree stumps. I thought, "Speed is your friend", dropped in with no brakes and found out the transition from down to up was a little more severe than I had thought. The Dos Niner's suspension launched me, after a full compression, off line to the left which put me off line for the exit. Needless to say, I piled it up spectacularly, taking a rib shot from the handlebar and tearing a little hole in my Bontrager Tubeless Ready tire's sidewall that the sealant couldn't deal with. Later I found other scraped and bloody sections on my body, but right then, all I wanted to do was get the flat fixed and move on. After what seemed like an eternity, and a borrowed tube, (mine had a hole in it, doh!) we moved on.

Now, I am not sure exactly what all was going on, but my mind was really out of it for quite awhile after that biff. Could it be that a combination of only eating two slices of pizza, no real riding since before Trans Iowa, and having to actually climb was taking it's toll on me? Naaaah! Are you kidding me? I probably just sucked, that's all! (Heh heh!)

I've said before that walking has become an integral part of my mountain biking experience, and Decorah was no exception. I was really hurting. Mostly my head, not so much my body, all though my legs were wobbly for a bit after that crash. My head just screamed at me in pain and I couldn't catch my breath at times. Weird. It didn't kill me, so on I trudged/rode.

Anyway, Rich was kind enough to baby sit me through the rest of it so I wouldn't get lost. (Thanks! I owe ya one!) At the end of the ride, oh say for the last half an hour, I came back around. I started feeling a lot better, and the riding started to come around to me again. I could actually climb again, although by this time the Dos was creaking and groaning in agony! (Gonna hafta tear that bike down and check it out!)

We ended the ride on the River Trail and then headed to T-Bock's for refreshments. A great riding day and everyone looked like they had fun. I got into my car, and stopped at a convenience store where I stuffed two of those cheapo cheeseburgers that the Trans Iowa racers were eating not but a couple weeks ago into my mug and got home about sunset.

The equipment I used was as I mentioned, the Dos Niner and I mounted up the Bontrager Tubeless Ready wheels and Dry X tires, tubeless of course. The tires were absolutely scary bad on the off camber trails of Decorah. There rounded profile and lack of real side knob bite had me puckered up several times and actually dumped me a couple more. Next time I'm bringing a "real" trail tire up, like a Rampage, or even an XR, which another of the guys was riding and had more side knob bite than the Dry X did. Conditions were dry, hard packed, with a bit of dusty/dirt loose on top. Suspension wasn't dialed the way I would have preffered, and I think a hardtail would be a better choice from a climbing aspect in Decorah.

I'll be back again to assail these trails again, or most likely, get spanked like yesterday! I say, "Bring it on, sucka!"

Weekend Ride Report

Stayed off the computer for the majority of the weekend, ( mission accomplished!) and got to run up to Decorah, Iowa to meet up with Jeff O'Gara, Rich (Deke) Gosen, and other locals to check on some of the trails we're going to use for The Big Wheeled Ballyhoo in June on the weekend of the 23rd and the 24th.

I met up with the guys at the trail head. They were ready to rock and roll right when I pulled up, so out I jump and grab my stuff to ride as quick as I can. I always feel nervous when folks are waiting on me, since I really don't like waiting on others. So, off I go into a big climb right off the bat after sitting in my car for an hour and a half. Can you say, redline? Yeah, and it was that way pretty much for the next hour and a half straight, before I finally settled down. (More on that in a minute)




The trails up there are all singletrack, all up and down, and 90% off camber. Tough, challenging, and lots of fun. I was shown a "Pines Section East" and later a "Pines Section West", either one of which was twice as long as any other pine section I've ridden in Iowa, that was super flowy and fast. Most of the mileage was done on the classic, newer trails put in since 2004 up there though.

I was getting a groove going, (finally) when I approached a big down/up section. Probably a drop in and right back out of about 15 to 20 feet with a narrow exit between two busted up tree stumps. I thought, "Speed is your friend", dropped in with no brakes and found out the transition from down to up was a little more severe than I had thought. The Dos Niner's suspension launched me, after a full compression, off line to the left which put me off line for the exit. Needless to say, I piled it up spectacularly, taking a rib shot from the handlebar and tearing a little hole in my Bontrager Tubeless Ready tire's sidewall that the sealant couldn't deal with. Later I found other scraped and bloody sections on my body, but right then, all I wanted to do was get the flat fixed and move on. After what seemed like an eternity, and a borrowed tube, (mine had a hole in it, doh!) we moved on.

Now, I am not sure exactly what all was going on, but my mind was really out of it for quite awhile after that biff. Could it be that a combination of only eating two slices of pizza, no real riding since before Trans Iowa, and having to actually climb was taking it's toll on me? Naaaah! Are you kidding me? I probably just sucked, that's all! (Heh heh!)

I've said before that walking has become an integral part of my mountain biking experience, and Decorah was no exception. I was really hurting. Mostly my head, not so much my body, all though my legs were wobbly for a bit after that crash. My head just screamed at me in pain and I couldn't catch my breath at times. Weird. It didn't kill me, so on I trudged/rode.

Anyway, Rich was kind enough to baby sit me through the rest of it so I wouldn't get lost. (Thanks! I owe ya one!) At the end of the ride, oh say for the last half an hour, I came back around. I started feeling a lot better, and the riding started to come around to me again. I could actually climb again, although by this time the Dos was creaking and groaning in agony! (Gonna hafta tear that bike down and check it out!)

We ended the ride on the River Trail and then headed to T-Bock's for refreshments. A great riding day and everyone looked like they had fun. I got into my car, and stopped at a convenience store where I stuffed two of those cheapo cheeseburgers that the Trans Iowa racers were eating not but a couple weeks ago into my mug and got home about sunset.

The equipment I used was as I mentioned, the Dos Niner and I mounted up the Bontrager Tubeless Ready wheels and Dry X tires, tubeless of course. The tires were absolutely scary bad on the off camber trails of Decorah. There rounded profile and lack of real side knob bite had me puckered up several times and actually dumped me a couple more. Next time I'm bringing a "real" trail tire up, like a Rampage, or even an XR, which another of the guys was riding and had more side knob bite than the Dry X did. Conditions were dry, hard packed, with a bit of dusty/dirt loose on top. Suspension wasn't dialed the way I would have preffered, and I think a hardtail would be a better choice from a climbing aspect in Decorah.

I'll be back again to assail these trails again, or most likely, get spanked like yesterday! I say, "Bring it on, sucka!"

Friday News and Views

If you didn't see my post from last Sunday , you missed what this is all about here. Check that out and also be informed that this is the head set for one of the "Secret Project" bikes that I am having custom built.

This should clue you in to the color scheme at least!

(Thanks Chris! This head set will look great!)





Here we have a picture that was kindly sent to me by David of Planet Bike.

Planet Bike sponsored this pedicab and offered free rides to folks participating in the recently held National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C.

One of the really cool things about the summit is that they are trying to influence lawmakers to adopt a measure that would reimburse commuters that use bicycles through a tax credit. This could be huge for us that already commute by bike and would be a great influence to others considering doing it.

Speaking of commuting to work, next week is "Bike To Work Week", so get yer lazy but outta bed a bit earlier and ride that bike to work next week. I'll be doing it, so will many others. Here's a guy that commutes every day. I wonder if he packs that heat while plying the streets of Charolotte N.C. ? Heh heh!

Check out Mike Curiaks "lunch ride" on the newest all mountain bike from Lenz Sport. Yes......those are the 29 inch wheels that are too weak and too heavy to use as a serious trail bike. I've got to say, Mike says these are moves he hasn't been able to pull off before, but he makes them look awfully easy here. Anyway, somebody out there is eating some crow after seeing these clips!

Wow! Is it Friday already? This week was ........like, almost non-existent! I needed more hours to get to some stuff. Hmm............too late now! I'm going to jump in and say right now that I'm riding this weekend, so no weekend posting! None! I'm staying away from this time sucking machine and so should you! (Well, not My time sucking machine............your time sucking machine!)

My good buddy Jason spoke of a Guitar Ted Ride and Smile get together yesterday in the comments section. How about June 9th or 10th people? In Minny-apple-pus? Sound off if'n ya thinks that is a good idea or not.

Later! Ride yer bike!

Friday News and Views

If you didn't see my post from last Sunday , you missed what this is all about here. Check that out and also be informed that this is the head set for one of the "Secret Project" bikes that I am having custom built.

This should clue you in to the color scheme at least!

(Thanks Chris! This head set will look great!)





Here we have a picture that was kindly sent to me by David of Planet Bike.

Planet Bike sponsored this pedicab and offered free rides to folks participating in the recently held National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C.

One of the really cool things about the summit is that they are trying to influence lawmakers to adopt a measure that would reimburse commuters that use bicycles through a tax credit. This could be huge for us that already commute by bike and would be a great influence to others considering doing it.

Speaking of commuting to work, next week is "Bike To Work Week", so get yer lazy but outta bed a bit earlier and ride that bike to work next week. I'll be doing it, so will many others. Here's a guy that commutes every day. I wonder if he packs that heat while plying the streets of Charolotte N.C. ? Heh heh!

Check out Mike Curiaks "lunch ride" on the newest all mountain bike from Lenz Sport. Yes......those are the 29 inch wheels that are too weak and too heavy to use as a serious trail bike. I've got to say, Mike says these are moves he hasn't been able to pull off before, but he makes them look awfully easy here. Anyway, somebody out there is eating some crow after seeing these clips!

Wow! Is it Friday already? This week was ........like, almost non-existent! I needed more hours to get to some stuff. Hmm............too late now! I'm going to jump in and say right now that I'm riding this weekend, so no weekend posting! None! I'm staying away from this time sucking machine and so should you! (Well, not My time sucking machine............your time sucking machine!)

My good buddy Jason spoke of a Guitar Ted Ride and Smile get together yesterday in the comments section. How about June 9th or 10th people? In Minny-apple-pus? Sound off if'n ya thinks that is a good idea or not.

Later! Ride yer bike!

I Just Want To Ride!

It seems that one of the "negative side effects" of going with a 29"er is having to think about stuff. Things I never would have considered thinking about when I rode a 26"er have suddenly become important, or seem to have, since going to 29"ers.

Take for instance the worst source of confusion, fork trail. I've opined about that one several times in an effort to spread knowledge but it still trips up folks all the time. Of course, back when fork manufacturers locked us into the 38mm-40mm crown offset in the early 90's, all we had to know was head angle, and even then we were talking about a difference of half degrees. Really, you didn't have to think about that stuff. Just go out and ride your bike.

Now a whole can of worms has been opened up with front end geometry being called into question by Fisher on their 26 inch bikes. (That's right kiddies, "G2" isn't a secret government plot to subvert the youth through subliminal messages embedded into downloaded mp3's!) So, now we have all sorts of fork offsets, not only for 29"ers, but for all mountain bikers. Hooray!

Then you have the smaller sources of confusion, like tubes. I never get surprised anymore by the folks that don't "get it" when it comes to tubes and 29"ers. (Or really for any bike. Tubes and tire sizes just trip people out.) By the way, 26 inch mountain bike tubes.........yeah, they work just fine.

The gearing thing, the suspension thing, (front and rear), and handle bar height, toe over lap, and on and on....... Someone coined a term: "paralysis of analysis", that guy should get free beer. Really, that's hitting the nail on the head anymore, it seems to me.

You know, I suppose I enjoy the dissecting of bicycle "this and thats" from time to time as much as the next guy, but lately it seems as though I (and a lot of you out there) am getting sucked into the "black hole" of internet wankery and not riding as much as I should. I see alot of talk, but no walk, as it were.

So, I am vowing to turn off this "black hole of suck" more often this summer and get more riding in. Heck, then I'll have more to post about that won't have anything to do with bicycle geometry, numbers, or trail other than numbers of miles put in, and trail in terms of dirt.

Go ride your bike. The Internet will still be here and as effed up as ever. Trust me!

I Just Want To Ride!

It seems that one of the "negative side effects" of going with a 29"er is having to think about stuff. Things I never would have considered thinking about when I rode a 26"er have suddenly become important, or seem to have, since going to 29"ers.

Take for instance the worst source of confusion, fork trail. I've opined about that one several times in an effort to spread knowledge but it still trips up folks all the time. Of course, back when fork manufacturers locked us into the 38mm-40mm crown offset in the early 90's, all we had to know was head angle, and even then we were talking about a difference of half degrees. Really, you didn't have to think about that stuff. Just go out and ride your bike.

Now a whole can of worms has been opened up with front end geometry being called into question by Fisher on their 26 inch bikes. (That's right kiddies, "G2" isn't a secret government plot to subvert the youth through subliminal messages embedded into downloaded mp3's!) So, now we have all sorts of fork offsets, not only for 29"ers, but for all mountain bikers. Hooray!

Then you have the smaller sources of confusion, like tubes. I never get surprised anymore by the folks that don't "get it" when it comes to tubes and 29"ers. (Or really for any bike. Tubes and tire sizes just trip people out.) By the way, 26 inch mountain bike tubes.........yeah, they work just fine.

The gearing thing, the suspension thing, (front and rear), and handle bar height, toe over lap, and on and on....... Someone coined a term: "paralysis of analysis", that guy should get free beer. Really, that's hitting the nail on the head anymore, it seems to me.

You know, I suppose I enjoy the dissecting of bicycle "this and thats" from time to time as much as the next guy, but lately it seems as though I (and a lot of you out there) am getting sucked into the "black hole" of internet wankery and not riding as much as I should. I see alot of talk, but no walk, as it were.

So, I am vowing to turn off this "black hole of suck" more often this summer and get more riding in. Heck, then I'll have more to post about that won't have anything to do with bicycle geometry, numbers, or trail other than numbers of miles put in, and trail in terms of dirt.

Go ride your bike. The Internet will still be here and as effed up as ever. Trust me!

The Evolution Of A Forum

Or; How The 29"er Forum On mtbr.com Went Sour

"I can't stop the music
I could stop it before.
Now I don't wanna hear it.
Don't wanna hear it no more."

Stop This Game by Cheap Trick

Okay, a bit of a rant here. So, grab yer mornings' favorite drink and get settled in!

I read the mtbr.com forum on 29"ers every day, sometimes multiple times a day. Well, using the term "read" is maybe overstating it now. More like skimming the headlines is closer to the point. The thing is, it used to be worth reading. No........really!

When I first discovered computers and the internet in the late 90's I came across mtbr.com. It was a pretty happening place for mountain bikers to get connected, and get tons of info that the print mags just couldn't/ wouldn't deal with. One of the things that caught my eye was this thing about 29"ers. Soon there was a forum dedicated to the whole phenomenon.

I remember that there weren't alot of new posts everyday, but what there was, I would read. I mean every one of them. They all had great information back then. I learned alot from reading those posts and it was what eventually influenced me to seriously consider getting a 29"er sight unseen. Can you even imagine that happening in today's 29"er Forum on mtbr.com? I can not!

First of all, the pertinent information is in the "sticky thread" for FAQ and isn't easily found any more. Of course, these questions come up on a regular basis on the forum any way. Then there are the things that don't have a thing to do with 29"ers per se that clog up the forum everyday and those things make gleaning out the good info that much harder. The sheer volume of stuff going through that forum now makes it virtually impossible to read all of it.

This isn't so bad, I mean, you still could find decent posts that were worth reading. Posts actually having something to do with 29"ers. That's not what is killing the forum, no. It's the attitude of a lot of the posters now that's killing the place. Take for instance any post on a new 29"er or 29"er part, (tires, wheels, forks) and if it is deemed by someone that the poster might have something to do with a company, or is getting paid some how by a company, or isn't buying the product, then the post is "spam", (an internet term for posting for monetary gain) and the "flame war" ensues. This effectively drives out potential posts that might be interesting because the folks wanting to share will get crucified for being "spammers" or worse.

Then there is the general overall bickering, lack of research, and rudeness that seems to pervade many of the threads that inhabit the forum that just gets tedious to the point of nausea. Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive.

I will be honest and say that a lot of what I write is based on things read on mtbr.com and I am certainly grateful for that. It still is a source of great information........currently. How much longer that lasts is a question worth looking at, and is what the point of this post is. How much longer before the forum is crushed under the weight of it's own angst? I know one thing. It's getting worse and not better!

The Evolution Of A Forum

Or; How The 29"er Forum On mtbr.com Went Sour

"I can't stop the music
I could stop it before.
Now I don't wanna hear it.
Don't wanna hear it no more."

Stop This Game by Cheap Trick

Okay, a bit of a rant here. So, grab yer mornings' favorite drink and get settled in!

I read the mtbr.com forum on 29"ers every day, sometimes multiple times a day. Well, using the term "read" is maybe overstating it now. More like skimming the headlines is closer to the point. The thing is, it used to be worth reading. No........really!

When I first discovered computers and the internet in the late 90's I came across mtbr.com. It was a pretty happening place for mountain bikers to get connected, and get tons of info that the print mags just couldn't/ wouldn't deal with. One of the things that caught my eye was this thing about 29"ers. Soon there was a forum dedicated to the whole phenomenon.

I remember that there weren't alot of new posts everyday, but what there was, I would read. I mean every one of them. They all had great information back then. I learned alot from reading those posts and it was what eventually influenced me to seriously consider getting a 29"er sight unseen. Can you even imagine that happening in today's 29"er Forum on mtbr.com? I can not!

First of all, the pertinent information is in the "sticky thread" for FAQ and isn't easily found any more. Of course, these questions come up on a regular basis on the forum any way. Then there are the things that don't have a thing to do with 29"ers per se that clog up the forum everyday and those things make gleaning out the good info that much harder. The sheer volume of stuff going through that forum now makes it virtually impossible to read all of it.

This isn't so bad, I mean, you still could find decent posts that were worth reading. Posts actually having something to do with 29"ers. That's not what is killing the forum, no. It's the attitude of a lot of the posters now that's killing the place. Take for instance any post on a new 29"er or 29"er part, (tires, wheels, forks) and if it is deemed by someone that the poster might have something to do with a company, or is getting paid some how by a company, or isn't buying the product, then the post is "spam", (an internet term for posting for monetary gain) and the "flame war" ensues. This effectively drives out potential posts that might be interesting because the folks wanting to share will get crucified for being "spammers" or worse.

Then there is the general overall bickering, lack of research, and rudeness that seems to pervade many of the threads that inhabit the forum that just gets tedious to the point of nausea. Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive.

I will be honest and say that a lot of what I write is based on things read on mtbr.com and I am certainly grateful for that. It still is a source of great information........currently. How much longer that lasts is a question worth looking at, and is what the point of this post is. How much longer before the forum is crushed under the weight of it's own angst? I know one thing. It's getting worse and not better!

Some Observations

Today's post is a random selection of takes on some various subjects in the cycling world.

Operation Stupidity: The roadie scene gets even more bizarre by the minute. Now we come to find out that Ivan Basso, the heir apparent to the Tour crown back in 2005, was associated with that infamous doping ring, or accused doping ring, or whatever! At any rate, it's obvious that another road cycling icon has been thrown down from his pedestal. What next? A suspicious use of smelling salts by domestiques? Sprinters caught snorting blow just before the line?

How stupid does this have to get before everybody stops watching and there is no money left in it for the UCI, ASO, WADA, and any other evil acronym of cycling? Maybe then and only then we can get back to watching guys actually race bikes, as opposed to wondering who the next dopers will be, and what series is legit, and so on and so on.............

Trans Iowa: The 2007 Book Is Closed: I went over some final details on Trans Iowa for this year. I am pretty happy about how it all went down. The number one goal was to have a great event where lots of folks could finish. The weather co-operated and the mission was accomplished. 24 finishers out of 64. Then the other goal was to account for all riders. With the great co-operation of the folks involved, that mission was also accomplished. Huzzah! The accolades and thanks were tremendous. Everyone involved, with one notable exception, was extremely thankful and gracious this year. That made all my hard work that much easier to take. Thanks to all of you who took the time out to make an effort to say thanks. I appreciate that more than you know.

Big Wheeled Ballyhoo News: I'm hearing that Jeff O'Gara, (one of the fine Decorah folks working to bring you this event) has gone before the Decorah City Council and got the permission to allow camping on some city owned land about a 100 yards from the trail head we are using for the Ballyhoo. That's a huge piece of the puzzle needed to make this thing work. I also am still planning on getting up there this Sunday, even though it's Mother's Day, to get a ride in on some of the trail we will be using up there. More news as I can gather it will be posted here.

Nice dry weather on the horizon here. Let's hope things dry out quickly! I need some dirt time!

Some Observations

Today's post is a random selection of takes on some various subjects in the cycling world.

Operation Stupidity: The roadie scene gets even more bizarre by the minute. Now we come to find out that Ivan Basso, the heir apparent to the Tour crown back in 2005, was associated with that infamous doping ring, or accused doping ring, or whatever! At any rate, it's obvious that another road cycling icon has been thrown down from his pedestal. What next? A suspicious use of smelling salts by domestiques? Sprinters caught snorting blow just before the line?

How stupid does this have to get before everybody stops watching and there is no money left in it for the UCI, ASO, WADA, and any other evil acronym of cycling? Maybe then and only then we can get back to watching guys actually race bikes, as opposed to wondering who the next dopers will be, and what series is legit, and so on and so on.............

Trans Iowa: The 2007 Book Is Closed: I went over some final details on Trans Iowa for this year. I am pretty happy about how it all went down. The number one goal was to have a great event where lots of folks could finish. The weather co-operated and the mission was accomplished. 24 finishers out of 64. Then the other goal was to account for all riders. With the great co-operation of the folks involved, that mission was also accomplished. Huzzah! The accolades and thanks were tremendous. Everyone involved, with one notable exception, was extremely thankful and gracious this year. That made all my hard work that much easier to take. Thanks to all of you who took the time out to make an effort to say thanks. I appreciate that more than you know.

Big Wheeled Ballyhoo News: I'm hearing that Jeff O'Gara, (one of the fine Decorah folks working to bring you this event) has gone before the Decorah City Council and got the permission to allow camping on some city owned land about a 100 yards from the trail head we are using for the Ballyhoo. That's a huge piece of the puzzle needed to make this thing work. I also am still planning on getting up there this Sunday, even though it's Mother's Day, to get a ride in on some of the trail we will be using up there. More news as I can gather it will be posted here.

Nice dry weather on the horizon here. Let's hope things dry out quickly! I need some dirt time!

Monday News And Views

The local scene here was treated to the annual Camp Ingawanis XC race yesterday in rainy, muddy conditions. Things got pretty gooey to the point that they had to cut short the festivities, which is too bad. I had a feeling yesterday as the rain poured down that things wouldn't even get started at all, so I suppose it's cool that at least some riding was put in. Check the 150 plus photos by Mr. 24 for more gooey, muddy views.

As I write, the additional rain from overnight is tapering off. Uggh! It's going to be awhile before anything local is rideable again. Fortunately, Decorah is only about an hour and a half away, and it drains very well up there. It looks as though that I'll be up there next weekend for some exploration for the Big Wheeled Ballyhoo and for some testing. Pictures and a ride report will be posted, as long as it doesn't decide to rain this weekend!

As I posted yesterday, the "69er" article I wrote is posted on Twenty Nine Inches. Check it out and hit the comment link to read those comments. Some more interesting stuff there too.

I think we're going to see the unveiling of a true AM/FR/DH 29"er with some meaty, huge rubber this week sometime. Mike Curiak is hinting at something new that he is tickled to death about and if I know him, that means a big, long travel, fat tired, 29 inch wheeled mountain tamer. Think bigger than a "Behemoth" and you'll be there! Stay tuned here, on Twenty Nine Inches, or at the 29"er forum on mtbr.com for the latest. She'll be comin' down the mountain when she comes.......

Newsy bits all week long! Stay tuned for more.............

Monday News And Views

The local scene here was treated to the annual Camp Ingawanis XC race yesterday in rainy, muddy conditions. Things got pretty gooey to the point that they had to cut short the festivities, which is too bad. I had a feeling yesterday as the rain poured down that things wouldn't even get started at all, so I suppose it's cool that at least some riding was put in. Check the 150 plus photos by Mr. 24 for more gooey, muddy views.

As I write, the additional rain from overnight is tapering off. Uggh! It's going to be awhile before anything local is rideable again. Fortunately, Decorah is only about an hour and a half away, and it drains very well up there. It looks as though that I'll be up there next weekend for some exploration for the Big Wheeled Ballyhoo and for some testing. Pictures and a ride report will be posted, as long as it doesn't decide to rain this weekend!

As I posted yesterday, the "69er" article I wrote is posted on Twenty Nine Inches. Check it out and hit the comment link to read those comments. Some more interesting stuff there too.

I think we're going to see the unveiling of a true AM/FR/DH 29"er with some meaty, huge rubber this week sometime. Mike Curiak is hinting at something new that he is tickled to death about and if I know him, that means a big, long travel, fat tired, 29 inch wheeled mountain tamer. Think bigger than a "Behemoth" and you'll be there! Stay tuned here, on Twenty Nine Inches, or at the 29"er forum on mtbr.com for the latest. She'll be comin' down the mountain when she comes.......

Newsy bits all week long! Stay tuned for more.............

Wet Sunday Doldrums

Yes.............it's raining! Or should I say Noooooo! It's raining! Ahhhhh! (I think choice #2 is more appropriate to my current mood!

Anyway, this is the kind of thing we don't need on top of already flooded local trails. On a more positive note; last week end was Trans Iowa, and not this weekend. I suppose it helps to stay positive!

So, I have a few tidbits of information and some commentary for you. First up; it's Chris King and the King Cycle Group to the rescue with colored headsets that are available now in any mix and match combination of their current color palette plus purple and turquoise in limited quantities. (Sorry! No complete headsets in purple or turquoise. I know! I was bummed too!) Anyway, you can now get crazy with that new bike build and get a different color for your top or bottom cups, and top cap. Kind of like their famous Dreadset headset, if you are at all familiar with that one.

Also, King Cycle Group has that pink stuff available all year long now. (Bicycle parts and accessories, you nincompoops!) They have a pretty serious take on the thing, so check the linkage. In pink related news, the company is also building complete wheelsets using the pink hubs in five different models. Sadly, they don't do a 29"er wheelset! (I know. I was bummed again!)

I wrote another take on the 69er thing for Twenty Nine Inches. Check it out if you want, but basically I think the new interest in it is going to be from serious racer types and short chainstay fanatics. 29"ers still rule as far as I'm concerned.

There has been some updates at The Big Wheeled Ballyhoo site that you might want to check out. If you are thinking about coming, please check into the RSVP link to give us a heads up. It's a great way to help us out in our fine tuning of this event. Look for more updates and news about The Ballyhoo here soon!

Okay, that's it for today. Check out your favorite cycling vid, spin the trainer, and pray for some dry weather!

Wet Sunday Doldrums

Yes.............it's raining! Or should I say Noooooo! It's raining! Ahhhhh! (I think choice #2 is more appropriate to my current mood!

Anyway, this is the kind of thing we don't need on top of already flooded local trails. On a more positive note; last week end was Trans Iowa, and not this weekend. I suppose it helps to stay positive!

So, I have a few tidbits of information and some commentary for you. First up; it's Chris King and the King Cycle Group to the rescue with colored headsets that are available now in any mix and match combination of their current color palette plus purple and turquoise in limited quantities. (Sorry! No complete headsets in purple or turquoise. I know! I was bummed too!) Anyway, you can now get crazy with that new bike build and get a different color for your top or bottom cups, and top cap. Kind of like their famous Dreadset headset, if you are at all familiar with that one.

Also, King Cycle Group has that pink stuff available all year long now. (Bicycle parts and accessories, you nincompoops!) They have a pretty serious take on the thing, so check the linkage. In pink related news, the company is also building complete wheelsets using the pink hubs in five different models. Sadly, they don't do a 29"er wheelset! (I know. I was bummed again!)

I wrote another take on the 69er thing for Twenty Nine Inches. Check it out if you want, but basically I think the new interest in it is going to be from serious racer types and short chainstay fanatics. 29"ers still rule as far as I'm concerned.

There has been some updates at The Big Wheeled Ballyhoo site that you might want to check out. If you are thinking about coming, please check into the RSVP link to give us a heads up. It's a great way to help us out in our fine tuning of this event. Look for more updates and news about The Ballyhoo here soon!

Okay, that's it for today. Check out your favorite cycling vid, spin the trainer, and pray for some dry weather!

Trail Building

Today I put in some four hours worth of "sweat equity" into our Boy Scout Camp mountain bike trails in preparation for the XC race out there tomorrow. Blisters never felt so good!

The race directors have a pretty ambitious plan in having different courses for all classes. That's cool! I got to put time in on the beginners trail. Lots of decisions were made and angles were assessed. I thought it was a great way to give back something that mountain biking has given me. I wish I could be there tomorrow to watch that begginers race, and see how those new sections of trail work out. I've got to be at church playing in the band this weekend, or I would be.

Maybe I'll get a chance to swing over afterwards and ride it post race. They need flags and markers picked up anyway, so hey! What the heck!

I guess those guys up in Minny-apple-puss must be sniffin' too much glue or something because I got invited to be on Team Twin Six. So, what would anybody want from a forty-six year old, surly 29"er freak? Good question! I'll be along side of folks like Mr. 24 , and Team Dicky. All I can say is that I already am sportin' the 6 proudly, that I plan on racin' a time or two this year, and that I will still be a surly 29"er freak. Might I also add that Twin Six is about to unleash their own take on 29"ers soon, so stay tuned for that! As an aside......help this guy out and buy his steed!

Finally.........and I do mean "finally"! Badger Cycles has redesigned their website and it looks really nice now. Simple and clean. Check it out.

Okay, that's it for Saturday night. Where was I a week ago? Oh yeah..................gravel!

Ride yer two wheeled contraption, ya'all!

Trail Building

Today I put in some four hours worth of "sweat equity" into our Boy Scout Camp mountain bike trails in preparation for the XC race out there tomorrow. Blisters never felt so good!

The race directors have a pretty ambitious plan in having different courses for all classes. That's cool! I got to put time in on the beginners trail. Lots of decisions were made and angles were assessed. I thought it was a great way to give back something that mountain biking has given me. I wish I could be there tomorrow to watch that begginers race, and see how those new sections of trail work out. I've got to be at church playing in the band this weekend, or I would be.

Maybe I'll get a chance to swing over afterwards and ride it post race. They need flags and markers picked up anyway, so hey! What the heck!

I guess those guys up in Minny-apple-puss must be sniffin' too much glue or something because I got invited to be on Team Twin Six. So, what would anybody want from a forty-six year old, surly 29"er freak? Good question! I'll be along side of folks like Mr. 24 , and Team Dicky. All I can say is that I already am sportin' the 6 proudly, that I plan on racin' a time or two this year, and that I will still be a surly 29"er freak. Might I also add that Twin Six is about to unleash their own take on 29"ers soon, so stay tuned for that! As an aside......help this guy out and buy his steed!

Finally.........and I do mean "finally"! Badger Cycles has redesigned their website and it looks really nice now. Simple and clean. Check it out.

Okay, that's it for Saturday night. Where was I a week ago? Oh yeah..................gravel!

Ride yer two wheeled contraption, ya'all!

Friday News and Views

Upcoming Testing: Now that I've got a break from major events for a bit, I am planning on cramming a whole bunch of testing into the month of May. Things like the Bontrager Tubeless Ready Wheels/ tires, the WTB Weir Wolf tires, new Bontrager Rhythm saddle, Trek's digital computer, and more. I have a Tioga Spider saddle being tested now, as we speak and also the three lubes in the Guitar Ted Lube-off. The Titec H-Bar has been passed on to a new owner and I should be able to access his thoughts on it after a while. (So far, he loves it). The Gary bar, (the Midge clone, dirt drop) will also see more testing after the Karate Monkey recieves a long overdue overhaul!

Speaking of "Big" Events.... The Big Wheeled Ballyhoo is taking place on June 23rd-24th. If you plan on coming, please take a minute to fill out the form here. This will help us to better organize and prepare for you to have a great time riding mountain bikes in the beautiful city of Decorah, Iowa. Lots of demo bikes, fun, give aways, and more are planned. The City of Decorah is bending over backwards for this event, so expect a warm welcome and good times.

Secret Project Bikes: I have two custom built frames in process right now and I have dubbed them Secret Project #1 and Secrect Project #2 for right now. The status of both frames is that one is brazed up and awaiting paint/powdercoating and the other is about to be brazed up very soon. As of now, the two rigs should at the very least be framesets ready to show at the Ballyhoo, and it's hoped that one or possibly both will be rideable. That all depends on money! I have to buy all the parts to flesh these two out. It's a good thing they are both single speeds!

The plan is also to let you in on the processes to obtain your own custom bike, the philosophies behind different builds, and what it takes to be a custom bike builder from two very different builders. The paths I chose to accomplish these two projects has been very different as well. Stay tuned for more later this summer!

Okay, it's spring time! Spring into action and get out and ride!

Friday News and Views

Upcoming Testing: Now that I've got a break from major events for a bit, I am planning on cramming a whole bunch of testing into the month of May. Things like the Bontrager Tubeless Ready Wheels/ tires, the WTB Weir Wolf tires, new Bontrager Rhythm saddle, Trek's digital computer, and more. I have a Tioga Spider saddle being tested now, as we speak and also the three lubes in the Guitar Ted Lube-off. The Titec H-Bar has been passed on to a new owner and I should be able to access his thoughts on it after a while. (So far, he loves it). The Gary bar, (the Midge clone, dirt drop) will also see more testing after the Karate Monkey recieves a long overdue overhaul!

Speaking of "Big" Events.... The Big Wheeled Ballyhoo is taking place on June 23rd-24th. If you plan on coming, please take a minute to fill out the form here. This will help us to better organize and prepare for you to have a great time riding mountain bikes in the beautiful city of Decorah, Iowa. Lots of demo bikes, fun, give aways, and more are planned. The City of Decorah is bending over backwards for this event, so expect a warm welcome and good times.

Secret Project Bikes: I have two custom built frames in process right now and I have dubbed them Secret Project #1 and Secrect Project #2 for right now. The status of both frames is that one is brazed up and awaiting paint/powdercoating and the other is about to be brazed up very soon. As of now, the two rigs should at the very least be framesets ready to show at the Ballyhoo, and it's hoped that one or possibly both will be rideable. That all depends on money! I have to buy all the parts to flesh these two out. It's a good thing they are both single speeds!

The plan is also to let you in on the processes to obtain your own custom bike, the philosophies behind different builds, and what it takes to be a custom bike builder from two very different builders. The paths I chose to accomplish these two projects has been very different as well. Stay tuned for more later this summer!

Okay, it's spring time! Spring into action and get out and ride!

Bontrager "Dry X" Tubeless Ready Tires: Fast!

The Bontrager Dry X tires that I recieved at Sea Otter are mounted and have the Super Juice sealant inside them now. As you can see, the casing width is generous for a racing tire.


This is inflated to 35psi by the way









Here is a shot showing the tread width at the widest point across the knobs.

The casing has a very rounded profile. This allows for a smaller part of the tire to contact the ground if you use higher pressures. I wouldn't suggest this though, as the tire rolls quite well as it is.




One impression about the Tubeless Ready System is that it's a tight fit! The tire interface with the rim is the tightest by a long shot in the 29"er world and ranks amongst the tightest fits for any off road tire I have ever worked with.

The second impression is: These tires and wheels are fast! The reduced weight is immediately felt and the rolling resistence of the Dry X is lower than most tires I have tried. Only a well worn XR Bontrager tire rolls any better!

A dirt session is forth coming and afterwards I will post a more thorough report on Twenty Nine Inches. Stay Tuned!

Bontrager "Dry X" Tubeless Ready Tires: Fast!

The Bontrager Dry X tires that I recieved at Sea Otter are mounted and have the Super Juice sealant inside them now. As you can see, the casing width is generous for a racing tire.


This is inflated to 35psi by the way









Here is a shot showing the tread width at the widest point across the knobs.

The casing has a very rounded profile. This allows for a smaller part of the tire to contact the ground if you use higher pressures. I wouldn't suggest this though, as the tire rolls quite well as it is.




One impression about the Tubeless Ready System is that it's a tight fit! The tire interface with the rim is the tightest by a long shot in the 29"er world and ranks amongst the tightest fits for any off road tire I have ever worked with.

The second impression is: These tires and wheels are fast! The reduced weight is immediately felt and the rolling resistence of the Dry X is lower than most tires I have tried. Only a well worn XR Bontrager tire rolls any better!

A dirt session is forth coming and afterwards I will post a more thorough report on Twenty Nine Inches. Stay Tuned!