Chasing The Next Trends

Circa 2007 Haro Sonix w/650B wheels

So, a lot of folks are going to start to wonder, "what's next" in terms of mountain biking. Why? Because we seem to get bored with the latest and greatest at warp speed anymore. You know, "that was soooo 27 seconds ago!". That attitude scares the bejesus outta marketing wonks, and the general public. So....once the newest stuff hits, the next trend is always being looked for, and here is what is going to hit you all upside the head in the coming months and years.

29"ers, once the bastard chile of da mountain bike world, is now "normal". That's bad. Bad for marketing "cutting edge" products. Long travel 29"ers are very problematic, the short chain stays/tire clearance/triple crank clearance trifecta being nigh unto impossible to achieve with big 29 inch diameter wheels. So, the marketers have decided for you that 120mm-130mm is going to be the limit for travel on 29 inch wheeled mountain bikes.

What are you going to do if you want 5" of travel and beyond with "big wheels"? You will get the "compromise wheel solution" called 650B by their supporters. (I still like 27.5"ers, but that's just me.) Why? Because the marketing wonks have latched on to this solution big time. Trust me, you will hear a lot about this wheel size starting next spring for the 2013 model year. I can't even make any hints right now, but I have actually seen some things, and it is coming. Long travel 27......er, 650B- is going to be "the next big thing" in mountain bikes.

Plug In- Charge Up- Tune Out: The other "big deal" you are going to start hearing a lot about is electronic shifting for mountain bikes. That's right- you won't have to tune your bike again, and shifting will be by buttons that won't fail you......well, that is until the power goes out. The only two cables on your bike will be hydraulic lines to your brakes. Yeah, and by the way- that will be an 11 speed set up too. I expect that the range of gearing will stay constant- 11-32/36, but the jumps between gears will tighten up even further. Shimano is really big on the tighter gear ratios right now, so look for that to happen instead of a wider gearing range.

The death of 9 speed will be hastened by all of this with Shimano and SRAM dropping 8 speeds to bare entry level rigs, and 9 speed will be the realm of cheap "mountain bike shaped objects". Real mountain bikes will all be 10 speed systems, or the aforementioned 11 speeds.

Fat-bikes: More than just for snow.

Real. Fat. Tires.: You are going to hear a lot more about "fat-bikes". Not only that, but some are going to start showing up that will be designed for tasks outside of snow/sand riding.

I expect someone will crack open a box someday soon with a fat-bike specific suspension fork. I can see dual suspension fat bikes being sold, (tinkerers are already making convincing examples from 29"er FS bikes), and more materials technology is going to be thrown at this genre' of bike to help make wheels lighter, stronger, and more fun and capable.

There may be some drive train tweaks that will make the bikes work with wide range triples, 9-10 speed cassettes, and 100mm wide rims with 4.5" rubber. I also expect to start seeing someone offer a conversion, or an outright designed 170mm internally geared hub. Belt driven too. Accessories for fat-bikes will start to appear like fenders, racks, and components designed to work in a wide range of temperatures and severe conditions. Tubeless tire systems and tubeless ready tires may even be a possibility.

Those are the things you're going to start hearing a lot more about in 2012 and beyond.......

Chasing The Next Trends

Circa 2007 Haro Sonix w/650B wheels

So, a lot of folks are going to start to wonder, "what's next" in terms of mountain biking. Why? Because we seem to get bored with the latest and greatest at warp speed anymore. You know, "that was soooo 27 seconds ago!". That attitude scares the bejesus outta marketing wonks, and the general public. So....once the newest stuff hits, the next trend is always being looked for, and here is what is going to hit you all upside the head in the coming months and years.

29"ers, once the bastard chile of da mountain bike world, is now "normal". That's bad. Bad for marketing "cutting edge" products. Long travel 29"ers are very problematic, the short chain stays/tire clearance/triple crank clearance trifecta being nigh unto impossible to achieve with big 29 inch diameter wheels. So, the marketers have decided for you that 120mm-130mm is going to be the limit for travel on 29 inch wheeled mountain bikes.

What are you going to do if you want 5" of travel and beyond with "big wheels"? You will get the "compromise wheel solution" called 650B by their supporters. (I still like 27.5"ers, but that's just me.) Why? Because the marketing wonks have latched on to this solution big time. Trust me, you will hear a lot about this wheel size starting next spring for the 2013 model year. I can't even make any hints right now, but I have actually seen some things, and it is coming. Long travel 27......er, 650B- is going to be "the next big thing" in mountain bikes.

Plug In- Charge Up- Tune Out: The other "big deal" you are going to start hearing a lot about is electronic shifting for mountain bikes. That's right- you won't have to tune your bike again, and shifting will be by buttons that won't fail you......well, that is until the power goes out. The only two cables on your bike will be hydraulic lines to your brakes. Yeah, and by the way- that will be an 11 speed set up too. I expect that the range of gearing will stay constant- 11-32/36, but the jumps between gears will tighten up even further. Shimano is really big on the tighter gear ratios right now, so look for that to happen instead of a wider gearing range.

The death of 9 speed will be hastened by all of this with Shimano and SRAM dropping 8 speeds to bare entry level rigs, and 9 speed will be the realm of cheap "mountain bike shaped objects". Real mountain bikes will all be 10 speed systems, or the aforementioned 11 speeds.

Fat-bikes: More than just for snow.

Real. Fat. Tires.: You are going to hear a lot more about "fat-bikes". Not only that, but some are going to start showing up that will be designed for tasks outside of snow/sand riding.

I expect someone will crack open a box someday soon with a fat-bike specific suspension fork. I can see dual suspension fat bikes being sold, (tinkerers are already making convincing examples from 29"er FS bikes), and more materials technology is going to be thrown at this genre' of bike to help make wheels lighter, stronger, and more fun and capable.

There may be some drive train tweaks that will make the bikes work with wide range triples, 9-10 speed cassettes, and 100mm wide rims with 4.5" rubber. I also expect to start seeing someone offer a conversion, or an outright designed 170mm internally geared hub. Belt driven too. Accessories for fat-bikes will start to appear like fenders, racks, and components designed to work in a wide range of temperatures and severe conditions. Tubeless tire systems and tubeless ready tires may even be a possibility.

Those are the things you're going to start hearing a lot more about in 2012 and beyond.......

A Fat, Magic Carpet Ride

No decals!

Well........I bet it won't take you long to figure out what this is!

I decided to take the plunge and I ordered a new Salsa Cycles Mukluk Ti, or in other words, a titanium Mukluk frame and steel Enabler fork.

Having seen other titanium Salsa Cycles products, I was quite aware of the quality of workmanship that a titanium fat-bike from them would bring to the table. When I saw that Salsa was going to do a flotation bike last year, I knew a titanium one would follow shortly. It just made too much sense. Then when the call went out for pre-orders to Salsa Cycles dealers, like the shop where I work, I jumped on the bandwagon. I didn't know exactly when it would come in, but it has now, and I will begin getting parts for this rounded up.

The Muk 1 comes with a SS dropout and a geared one.

The plan for this frame and fork will be to build up a "summer" fat bike. In essence, I will using this most of the year, and the Snow Dog will be limited to actual winter snow bike duties and outfitted accordingly.

Since most of the year is snow-free here, the titanium bike will be the non-snow rig. (But that doesn't mean I would not ever use it in snow!)

The tentative plan now is to go 1X9 or 10 with a SRAM TT shifter on a Paul's mount thumbie style. If I gear correctly, it should be just peachy for almost anywhere I go with this bike. I will be using an ISIS crank, but I have not determined what it will be just yet. For times I go to the mountains, I may swap over to a Origin 8 Sub Compact crank for even lower gear choices and then I'll use an XT direct mount 2X derailleur. But for now, it's 1X. I may even do a single speed set up at some point.

The wheels will be a bit different. I am going to use a Surly rear single speed hub as a front hub and a Salsa Cycles rear 170OLD hub. These will be laced to Fatback UMA II 70mm rims that are drilled out. No need to have the widest rims on a summer fat bike build, and the Fatback rims will be lighter than Rolling Darryls too. Tires will eventually be Husker Du's. (They are not quite available yet.) I also have spare 3.8 Larry tires to swap over to if I desire.

The rest of the build will be pretty swanky stuff, most of which I already have. Chris King head set, FSA stem, carbon bars, and carbon seat post. I'll probably get a WTB SST saddle on there, and Ergon Bio-cork grips. Brakes will be the new Elixir 9's from Avid in a pewter hue, which should go well with titanium. The blades will be carbon fiber on those as well.

It will be awhile before this one is ready to roll, but I will put up some progress reports on the build as I go. Stay tuned for the "as yet to be named" titanium Mukluk!

A Fat, Magic Carpet Ride

No decals!

Well........I bet it won't take you long to figure out what this is!

I decided to take the plunge and I ordered a new Salsa Cycles Mukluk Ti, or in other words, a titanium Mukluk frame and steel Enabler fork.

Having seen other titanium Salsa Cycles products, I was quite aware of the quality of workmanship that a titanium fat-bike from them would bring to the table. When I saw that Salsa was going to do a flotation bike last year, I knew a titanium one would follow shortly. It just made too much sense. Then when the call went out for pre-orders to Salsa Cycles dealers, like the shop where I work, I jumped on the bandwagon. I didn't know exactly when it would come in, but it has now, and I will begin getting parts for this rounded up.

The Muk 1 comes with a SS dropout and a geared one.

The plan for this frame and fork will be to build up a "summer" fat bike. In essence, I will using this most of the year, and the Snow Dog will be limited to actual winter snow bike duties and outfitted accordingly.

Since most of the year is snow-free here, the titanium bike will be the non-snow rig. (But that doesn't mean I would not ever use it in snow!)

The tentative plan now is to go 1X9 or 10 with a SRAM TT shifter on a Paul's mount thumbie style. If I gear correctly, it should be just peachy for almost anywhere I go with this bike. I will be using an ISIS crank, but I have not determined what it will be just yet. For times I go to the mountains, I may swap over to a Origin 8 Sub Compact crank for even lower gear choices and then I'll use an XT direct mount 2X derailleur. But for now, it's 1X. I may even do a single speed set up at some point.

The wheels will be a bit different. I am going to use a Surly rear single speed hub as a front hub and a Salsa Cycles rear 170OLD hub. These will be laced to Fatback UMA II 70mm rims that are drilled out. No need to have the widest rims on a summer fat bike build, and the Fatback rims will be lighter than Rolling Darryls too. Tires will eventually be Husker Du's. (They are not quite available yet.) I also have spare 3.8 Larry tires to swap over to if I desire.

The rest of the build will be pretty swanky stuff, most of which I already have. Chris King head set, FSA stem, carbon bars, and carbon seat post. I'll probably get a WTB SST saddle on there, and Ergon Bio-cork grips. Brakes will be the new Elixir 9's from Avid in a pewter hue, which should go well with titanium. The blades will be carbon fiber on those as well.

It will be awhile before this one is ready to roll, but I will put up some progress reports on the build as I go. Stay tuned for the "as yet to be named" titanium Mukluk!

Fat-Bike At Night

Night riding adventure!

I've made a little loop out from the house that I can take on the Snow Dog. It takes me through the Green Belt and around that little lake-pond out there, then back on the bike path towards the house.

It isn't a spectacular route. It isn't all that difficult, but it is fun, and at night the trails take on another dimension. Things get a bit tougher, and with the fat-bike it goes a little slower. Just right, really, for the training I need to be getting in right now.

Mostly, I don't have to worry about any obligations at night. My wife is doing her exercise routine anyway, or she is doing household work that I am not invited to partake in, (because I would totally screw up the laundry, as a for instance), and my children are off to bed. I may as well fit a bike ride in then as any time, right?

The big key to unlocking the potential night rides now was getting a "real" light. That Lezyne Super Drive I have been writing about lately really does alright at night in the woods. I ran it at the 300 lumen setting, and it worked really well. Now I need to remember that light I use for the helmet the next time I go out!

Spooky light in the sky

So the other thing I have been doing is messing around with my Panasonic LX-3 out there. It takes in a ton of light, and I have to get myself a tripod at some point, but for now, I have been just trying to use things like my bicycle seat to steady the camera on for these longer exposures.

The last shot here is me holding the camera on top of my head, pointing it straight into the sky. The air was full of frost coming down and that left a spooky image which I thought was kind of cool. (That bright spot is a star) Maybe its just me, but I get a kick out of messing around like this with my camera.

Well, that isn't all that is going on out there. I have a bit of an obstacle to cross. A very steeply cut bank with about a foot of ice cold water running through it at the bottom. Without a bike as heavy as the Mukluk, I could leap across this chasm, but with it I am forced to get across by using the bike as a pick.

It gets kind of sketchy at night, the ground is super slick, and the bank is very steep. Made for a few tense moments there, but I made it across. I didn't realize that I had doused my rotor with water though, and it froze over the surface of the rotor after I got back to riding. Hitting the brake the first time was a bit scary! After a few hard applications though, it went away and I was off bounding through the woods again.

I think the Lezyne light and a torch strapped to my helmet will be a killer combo for doing more of this sort of riding in the coming weeks. Well, at least until it snows! Then I may have to modify my route somewhat.

Fat-Bike At Night

Night riding adventure!

I've made a little loop out from the house that I can take on the Snow Dog. It takes me through the Green Belt and around that little lake-pond out there, then back on the bike path towards the house.

It isn't a spectacular route. It isn't all that difficult, but it is fun, and at night the trails take on another dimension. Things get a bit tougher, and with the fat-bike it goes a little slower. Just right, really, for the training I need to be getting in right now.

Mostly, I don't have to worry about any obligations at night. My wife is doing her exercise routine anyway, or she is doing household work that I am not invited to partake in, (because I would totally screw up the laundry, as a for instance), and my children are off to bed. I may as well fit a bike ride in then as any time, right?

The big key to unlocking the potential night rides now was getting a "real" light. That Lezyne Super Drive I have been writing about lately really does alright at night in the woods. I ran it at the 300 lumen setting, and it worked really well. Now I need to remember that light I use for the helmet the next time I go out!

Spooky light in the sky

So the other thing I have been doing is messing around with my Panasonic LX-3 out there. It takes in a ton of light, and I have to get myself a tripod at some point, but for now, I have been just trying to use things like my bicycle seat to steady the camera on for these longer exposures.

The last shot here is me holding the camera on top of my head, pointing it straight into the sky. The air was full of frost coming down and that left a spooky image which I thought was kind of cool. (That bright spot is a star) Maybe its just me, but I get a kick out of messing around like this with my camera.

Well, that isn't all that is going on out there. I have a bit of an obstacle to cross. A very steeply cut bank with about a foot of ice cold water running through it at the bottom. Without a bike as heavy as the Mukluk, I could leap across this chasm, but with it I am forced to get across by using the bike as a pick.

It gets kind of sketchy at night, the ground is super slick, and the bank is very steep. Made for a few tense moments there, but I made it across. I didn't realize that I had doused my rotor with water though, and it froze over the surface of the rotor after I got back to riding. Hitting the brake the first time was a bit scary! After a few hard applications though, it went away and I was off bounding through the woods again.

I think the Lezyne light and a torch strapped to my helmet will be a killer combo for doing more of this sort of riding in the coming weeks. Well, at least until it snows! Then I may have to modify my route somewhat.

I Could Take The Rest Of The Year Off Now, But...

There is always the "but", no? Well, yes, there always is that, and in my case, I am not stopping here. So what in the world is the title about?

My personal blogging "PR" for a year has now officially been smashed. Previous record for a year was 372 posts, (for those keeping track at home).

Well, now with that out of the way, here are some bits to chew on for your Sunday.....

Kingdom Bike Project Savant 140

Long Travel 29"ers: While some may scoff at the need for a really long travel 29"er, that doesn't seem to dampen the enthusiasm of others to make such products available. Here we see a rendering for a carbon fiber frame from "Kingdom Bikes Project" called the Savant.

(Note: They didn't call it an "Idiot Savant", which I find mre appealing, but that's just me.)

So, a carbon frame with carbon swing link that is convertible to a 120mm travel. The planned design has really slack angles too. Crazy slack in the 140mm mode for a 29"er at 67* head/69.5* seat angles.

Not sure how that'll work, but hey! Pre-order is available, so you can jump in and find out, presumably, next spring. With these numbers it seems that you could set the bike up with a 100mm travel and get reasonable angles and bottom bracket heights. Hmm......

Origin 8 Scout 29 V4

Origin 8 Scout 29 Updated: This is a spy shot of the Scout 29 from Origin 8 that is due for an update in the coming year. This will mark the fourth update of this model that I am aware of.

This time, Origin 8 is promising lighter steel tubing. That should make for a livelier ride quality, and obviously shed some grams.

The last generation or two of this bike was pretty porky, but handled really well with a 470mm axle to crown fork on tight single track. No word on any major changes to the design beyond the tubing change.

If that geometry stays intact, the Scout 29 with a lighter frame may just jump up the ladder as an excellent choice for a budget single track screamer.

Yes: That's really "that guys" grave site!

Ibis Ripley 29: You're looking at the only Ibis Ripley 29"er that is rideable in existence right now. It is being "real world" tested to sus out any flaws in the design, but I suspect this will be close to final production, in terms of the silhouette.

The Ripley is a much anticipated release, and with no surprise, since its 26"er sibling is a very desirable and much lauded bike. This Ripley has a lot to live up to.

The Ripley is using a similar idea to the Yeti SB 95 in that the short link pivots are so close together they were integrated into an eccentric. Whether or not this plays out to be a good idea, that has yet to be determined from a longevity/maintenance perspective. However; the indications are that it should be a really good design.

Chances are this will end up becoming Ibis' best selling bike in short order, judging from all the hoopla it generated at Eurobike when it was unveiled. Prices will be steep, but I don't think that will deter the bikes success in any way. Ibis' other high end offerings have a good track record of sales as well.

Okay, that's all for today. I'm going back to sip on my Christmas coffee and chill out for a while as I celebrate the season!

I Could Take The Rest Of The Year Off Now, But...

There is always the "but", no? Well, yes, there always is that, and in my case, I am not stopping here. So what in the world is the title about?

My personal blogging "PR" for a year has now officially been smashed. Previous record for a year was 372 posts, (for those keeping track at home).

Well, now with that out of the way, here are some bits to chew on for your Sunday.....

Kingdom Bike Project Savant 140

Long Travel 29"ers: While some may scoff at the need for a really long travel 29"er, that doesn't seem to dampen the enthusiasm of others to make such products available. Here we see a rendering for a carbon fiber frame from "Kingdom Bikes Project" called the Savant.

(Note: They didn't call it an "Idiot Savant", which I find mre appealing, but that's just me.)

So, a carbon frame with carbon swing link that is convertible to a 120mm travel. The planned design has really slack angles too. Crazy slack in the 140mm mode for a 29"er at 67* head/69.5* seat angles.

Not sure how that'll work, but hey! Pre-order is available, so you can jump in and find out, presumably, next spring. With these numbers it seems that you could set the bike up with a 100mm travel and get reasonable angles and bottom bracket heights. Hmm......

Origin 8 Scout 29 V4

Origin 8 Scout 29 Updated: This is a spy shot of the Scout 29 from Origin 8 that is due for an update in the coming year. This will mark the fourth update of this model that I am aware of.

This time, Origin 8 is promising lighter steel tubing. That should make for a livelier ride quality, and obviously shed some grams.

The last generation or two of this bike was pretty porky, but handled really well with a 470mm axle to crown fork on tight single track. No word on any major changes to the design beyond the tubing change.

If that geometry stays intact, the Scout 29 with a lighter frame may just jump up the ladder as an excellent choice for a budget single track screamer.

Yes: That's really "that guys" grave site!

Ibis Ripley 29: You're looking at the only Ibis Ripley 29"er that is rideable in existence right now. It is being "real world" tested to sus out any flaws in the design, but I suspect this will be close to final production, in terms of the silhouette.

The Ripley is a much anticipated release, and with no surprise, since its 26"er sibling is a very desirable and much lauded bike. This Ripley has a lot to live up to.

The Ripley is using a similar idea to the Yeti SB 95 in that the short link pivots are so close together they were integrated into an eccentric. Whether or not this plays out to be a good idea, that has yet to be determined from a longevity/maintenance perspective. However; the indications are that it should be a really good design.

Chances are this will end up becoming Ibis' best selling bike in short order, judging from all the hoopla it generated at Eurobike when it was unveiled. Prices will be steep, but I don't think that will deter the bikes success in any way. Ibis' other high end offerings have a good track record of sales as well.

Okay, that's all for today. I'm going back to sip on my Christmas coffee and chill out for a while as I celebrate the season!

Triple D Training Update

Okay, so this event is a month away now and Christmas, New Years, my wedding anniversary, and all that goes with that stands between my training and the time of this event.

Who came up with this schedule anyway?

No snow either......yet!

Then you add in the fact that I was pretty much totally out of whack health-wise for a week. It started a week ago with a severe stomach virus and shooting fluids out of both ends until I was so dehydrated that I had a piercing head ache, and muscle cramping to the point I couldn't sleep well, if at all. This went on until Tuesday, when I was able to retain anything without spontaneous eruption, and the long road to recovery began there.

So, needless to say, my chemistry has been unbalanced for a while, and even just casually riding to work and back was a major undertaking. I did get that night ride in, and then Friday afternoon I finally got a proper training ride in again, the first in well over a week.

So, yeah.......my preparation for this event is waaaay off schedule!

That's why these Holidays are really going to mess with things. I just don't see myself getting into any kind of a groove going into this deal. So, ya know what? I'm just going to go for a ride that day. 

Did some pond circumnavigating....

Oh, don't get me wrong- I am going to triple D, toeing the line, and riding, but that is exactly it- I will be out for a ride that day.

I have zero designs on being in any semblance of "shape" or "fitness" for this deal. Not after being drug down to the edge, having my health in such disarray for over a week, and then not being able to schedule anything close to "regular" training up to the event.

Truth be told, I am still not up to 100%, and if I push things too far, to soon, I won't get back to 100%. I just had to mentally make peace with that for this event. I have to set a different goal, and for this event, it is going to be exploring a new area by bike. Others will be racing. I will be riding. For fun.

So, there ya have it. If I can even cover a majority of the miles others get in, then fine. That will be a win for me. I just have to concenterate on getting better at this point.

Triple D Training Update

Okay, so this event is a month away now and Christmas, New Years, my wedding anniversary, and all that goes with that stands between my training and the time of this event.

Who came up with this schedule anyway?

No snow either......yet!

Then you add in the fact that I was pretty much totally out of whack health-wise for a week. It started a week ago with a severe stomach virus and shooting fluids out of both ends until I was so dehydrated that I had a piercing head ache, and muscle cramping to the point I couldn't sleep well, if at all. This went on until Tuesday, when I was able to retain anything without spontaneous eruption, and the long road to recovery began there.

So, needless to say, my chemistry has been unbalanced for a while, and even just casually riding to work and back was a major undertaking. I did get that night ride in, and then Friday afternoon I finally got a proper training ride in again, the first in well over a week.

So, yeah.......my preparation for this event is waaaay off schedule!

That's why these Holidays are really going to mess with things. I just don't see myself getting into any kind of a groove going into this deal. So, ya know what? I'm just going to go for a ride that day. 

Did some pond circumnavigating....

Oh, don't get me wrong- I am going to triple D, toeing the line, and riding, but that is exactly it- I will be out for a ride that day.

I have zero designs on being in any semblance of "shape" or "fitness" for this deal. Not after being drug down to the edge, having my health in such disarray for over a week, and then not being able to schedule anything close to "regular" training up to the event.

Truth be told, I am still not up to 100%, and if I push things too far, to soon, I won't get back to 100%. I just had to mentally make peace with that for this event. I have to set a different goal, and for this event, it is going to be exploring a new area by bike. Others will be racing. I will be riding. For fun.

So, there ya have it. If I can even cover a majority of the miles others get in, then fine. That will be a win for me. I just have to concenterate on getting better at this point.

Friday News And Views

Videos To Waste Away Your Friday By: Okay, today I am going to feature a couple of things that tickled my fancy recently in the form of videos. The first is from a U.K. persona, Ed Oxley, better known on the "inner-web-o-sphere" as "Great Rock". He is a mountain bike guide and skills instructor, and generally all-around good egg, from what I know of him. And.........he has a rockin' beard!


Edventure from Whitenosugar Productions on Vimeo.


Well, recently the video above made the rounds and it is really representative of his humor and shows what you can do to just have fun and "adventure by bike". Check it out. (Note: There may be  a foul word in here, but with that dialect, I have a hard time knowing if I've been offended or not. On the whole this is harmless. I would definitely let my kids watch it, for instance.)

Next up we have this sent to me by T.I. Vet "Dr. Giggles". It is one of those electro-vox-animated deals that you see a lot of, but the subject matter, (concerning cyclist's propensity for odd, pain related activities and for excessive spending on gear), really hits close to home. I found myself laughing, despite myself, at a few points. A bit long at 7-plus minutes, and definitely Not Safe For Work due to language.

 

The "no-name" "Neck Romancer", er..whatever!

A Bit On The Surly Black...er Necro...er....Whatever! Black Pugs!

In what can only be termed as "ludicrous", a recent paint scheme naming frenzy surrounding the innocent looking fat-bike in the image here has occurred.

First shown as the "Black Ops Pugsley", this bike was basically a "murdered out" Pugs with a twist on the typical parts spec. Okay. No big deal, right?

Well, a certain "importer" has used "Black Ops" as a branding name and, (we're guessing), because of that, made Surly change the name. Surly then chose "Necromancer" as the designation for this special Pugs. Well, the "dark" nature of this name brought howls of disapproval from the peanut gallery, and apparently, to assuage them, Surly made yet another change to the name. Now called the "Neck Romancer", it has gotten to the point of being ridiculous and has gone waaay too far. How about we just call it the "Black Pugs" and be done with this madness?

Besides all of that nonsense, the bike itself seems pretty cool. It feels shorter and more nimble than a Mukluk, but doesn't weigh much different, and they both are great bikes. This is a pretty rare bird right now. The "Black Pugs" is tough to come by due to high demand. We were lucky to score this one for a customer at the shop where I work. 

At the 450L/High setting

 Update On The Lezyne Super Drive: Well, I got out on the bike the other evening with the Lezyne Super Drive attached to the Snow Dog. Here are my initial thoughts...

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine!  Uh.......'scuse me! Well, you might find yerself singin' the same tune when/if you try the Super Drive. It is a commuter's dream light, I think. Bright, yes, but that beam pattern! Look at how it floods and throws light down the trail in my, (not so great, I know), shot here. Very even, not much of a hot spot at all, and no halo/ring effect from the lens. The light color is also really good.

Of course, that is on High. What about the other settings? Well, Medium/300lumens is just as impressive and boots the run time up a bit. Only when dropping off to the 150 lumen setting do you see a dramatic dip in visibility, but honestly, I could ride gravel in the country as fast as I dared to go in the day for the entire 4.5 hours of run time available on Low setting. 150 lumens is really quite enough for that sort of riding.

Again, it is the quality of the beam pattern and throw that get me excited about this light. I'll give it some more runs before offering a final opinion, but this thing is really impressing me so far.

Friday News And Views

Videos To Waste Away Your Friday By: Okay, today I am going to feature a couple of things that tickled my fancy recently in the form of videos. The first is from a U.K. persona, Ed Oxley, better known on the "inner-web-o-sphere" as "Great Rock". He is a mountain bike guide and skills instructor, and generally all-around good egg, from what I know of him. And.........he has a rockin' beard!


Edventure from Whitenosugar Productions on Vimeo.


Well, recently the video above made the rounds and it is really representative of his humor and shows what you can do to just have fun and "adventure by bike". Check it out. (Note: There may be  a foul word in here, but with that dialect, I have a hard time knowing if I've been offended or not. On the whole this is harmless. I would definitely let my kids watch it, for instance.)

Next up we have this sent to me by T.I. Vet "Dr. Giggles". It is one of those electro-vox-animated deals that you see a lot of, but the subject matter, (concerning cyclist's propensity for odd, pain related activities and for excessive spending on gear), really hits close to home. I found myself laughing, despite myself, at a few points. A bit long at 7-plus minutes, and definitely Not Safe For Work due to language.

 

The "no-name" "Neck Romancer", er..whatever!

A Bit On The Surly Black...er Necro...er....Whatever! Black Pugs!

In what can only be termed as "ludicrous", a recent paint scheme naming frenzy surrounding the innocent looking fat-bike in the image here has occurred.

First shown as the "Black Ops Pugsley", this bike was basically a "murdered out" Pugs with a twist on the typical parts spec. Okay. No big deal, right?

Well, a certain "importer" has used "Black Ops" as a branding name and, (we're guessing), because of that, made Surly change the name. Surly then chose "Necromancer" as the designation for this special Pugs. Well, the "dark" nature of this name brought howls of disapproval from the peanut gallery, and apparently, to assuage them, Surly made yet another change to the name. Now called the "Neck Romancer", it has gotten to the point of being ridiculous and has gone waaay too far. How about we just call it the "Black Pugs" and be done with this madness?

Besides all of that nonsense, the bike itself seems pretty cool. It feels shorter and more nimble than a Mukluk, but doesn't weigh much different, and they both are great bikes. This is a pretty rare bird right now. The "Black Pugs" is tough to come by due to high demand. We were lucky to score this one for a customer at the shop where I work. 

At the 450L/High setting

 Update On The Lezyne Super Drive: Well, I got out on the bike the other evening with the Lezyne Super Drive attached to the Snow Dog. Here are my initial thoughts...

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine!  Uh.......'scuse me! Well, you might find yerself singin' the same tune when/if you try the Super Drive. It is a commuter's dream light, I think. Bright, yes, but that beam pattern! Look at how it floods and throws light down the trail in my, (not so great, I know), shot here. Very even, not much of a hot spot at all, and no halo/ring effect from the lens. The light color is also really good.

Of course, that is on High. What about the other settings? Well, Medium/300lumens is just as impressive and boots the run time up a bit. Only when dropping off to the 150 lumen setting do you see a dramatic dip in visibility, but honestly, I could ride gravel in the country as fast as I dared to go in the day for the entire 4.5 hours of run time available on Low setting. 150 lumens is really quite enough for that sort of riding.

Again, it is the quality of the beam pattern and throw that get me excited about this light. I'll give it some more runs before offering a final opinion, but this thing is really impressing me so far.

Ode To An Old Bag

The time was coming and I knew it. I couldn't put it off forever, but I wasn't quite ready to cut the ties just yet. Then, suddenly, an opportunity came and I opted to accept it. With that fateful decision made, the die was cast.

I'm sorry Old Bag, but it is time for me to move on......

The last load......

You were good. Really good, and I didn't think that we would get on as well as we did. When you came to me, I scoffed at the idea that I needed such a contraption to use for commuting, or for anything else, really. But I found that you, Old Bag, were awesome at hauling stuff I might need to repair my bike, and clothes that I needed to wear, or for other errands that I could do by bicycle. And that wasn't all. There were all the trips we went on as well.

The Old bag and I went to California and saw Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Francisco. We went to Texas, Utah, Nevada, and Minnesota.

We did events like the Dirty Kanza 200, Gravel Worlds, and The Renegade Gents Race together. We did CIRREM, a few Fargo Adventure Rides, and several Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitationals together. I don't even want to think about all those gravel road recon miles and Trans Iowas we did! 

We were in airports from Georgia to Illinois, Texas to Minnesota, and more. We went camping. We went on adventures by bicycle. Yeah.......there were a lot of memories with you, Old Bag, but now it is time to make memories with another.

 Even though you are not quite dead yet, you are showing your age. That zipper is getting worse, and the travel stained material is starting to show a lot of wear. You were good. You never complained through it all though, I'll hand that to ya.

All the times I over-stuffed you. All the times I hurriedly kicked you under an airplane seat. The bumping, the banging. The frozen slush, the wet mud. The time I left a muffin inside of you until it was pulverized to bits. (Not found until weeks later!) None of it fazed you in the least. I can only hope that your replacement is as hardy, as worthy as you are.

It isn't like I am throwing you out to the curb either. Oh no! I wouldn't do that to you, faithful Old Bag. Nope, but you've paid your dues, and now it is time for retirement. Thanks Old Bag, you done good!

Ode To An Old Bag

The time was coming and I knew it. I couldn't put it off forever, but I wasn't quite ready to cut the ties just yet. Then, suddenly, an opportunity came and I opted to accept it. With that fateful decision made, the die was cast.

I'm sorry Old Bag, but it is time for me to move on......

The last load......

You were good. Really good, and I didn't think that we would get on as well as we did. When you came to me, I scoffed at the idea that I needed such a contraption to use for commuting, or for anything else, really. But I found that you, Old Bag, were awesome at hauling stuff I might need to repair my bike, and clothes that I needed to wear, or for other errands that I could do by bicycle. And that wasn't all. There were all the trips we went on as well.

The Old bag and I went to California and saw Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Francisco. We went to Texas, Utah, Nevada, and Minnesota.

We did events like the Dirty Kanza 200, Gravel Worlds, and The Renegade Gents Race together. We did CIRREM, a few Fargo Adventure Rides, and several Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitationals together. I don't even want to think about all those gravel road recon miles and Trans Iowas we did! 

We were in airports from Georgia to Illinois, Texas to Minnesota, and more. We went camping. We went on adventures by bicycle. Yeah.......there were a lot of memories with you, Old Bag, but now it is time to make memories with another.

 Even though you are not quite dead yet, you are showing your age. That zipper is getting worse, and the travel stained material is starting to show a lot of wear. You were good. You never complained through it all though, I'll hand that to ya.

All the times I over-stuffed you. All the times I hurriedly kicked you under an airplane seat. The bumping, the banging. The frozen slush, the wet mud. The time I left a muffin inside of you until it was pulverized to bits. (Not found until weeks later!) None of it fazed you in the least. I can only hope that your replacement is as hardy, as worthy as you are.

It isn't like I am throwing you out to the curb either. Oh no! I wouldn't do that to you, faithful Old Bag. Nope, but you've paid your dues, and now it is time for retirement. Thanks Old Bag, you done good!

Lezyne Super Drive: New Generation LED Light

It's not all that big

The good folks at Lezyne sent over this new Super Drive LED light to be reviewed on The Cyclistsite. It is one of three models Lezyne is introducing for 2012.

I thought I would give everyone a sneak peek at this much anticipated light.

The Lezyne lights have been teased since Interbike and were strongly rumored before then, but details were somewhat scarce. The line up includes this top of the line Super Drive, the Power Drive, and the Mini Drive.

The range has some zap to it power-wise too. The top end Super Drive sports 450 lumens, the Power Drive has 300 lumens and the Mini Drive has a high power of 150 lumens. All are self contained units. No separate battery packs here. My first impression upon looking at the Super Drive was, "Man! That thing isn't very big."

It is about the size of a Mag Lite Mini, if you are familiar with those older Halogen bulbed flashlights. It is light in weight, and the model I have here is anodized in a nice pewter hue.

The package contains everything you need to get up and rolling. There are two mounts to match up with 25.4mm or 31.8mm bars, a thumbscrew to fasten the clamps, the proprietary battery, torch body/lens with mounting base, the USB charger cord, and the instructions.

The torch has a rear cover that unscrews to allow access to the inner cavity where the battery resides. Install the battery, hook up the USB cord to the covered port at the base of the torch body, and plug it into your powered USB port on your computer, or USB power wall wart. The instructions claim a four hour charge time, but my example was charged fully in just over three hours out of the box.

Interestingly, the light is made to flash softly as it charges. When it stops, the light is fully charged. If you want an assurance that it is done charging, the instructions say unplug the USB cord, then plug back in, and the light should flash once, indicating a full charge. My example didn't do this right off. I un-plugged and plugged back in three times before I got the "one flash then off" signal.

Once charged up, you can expect the following run times:

• High: 450 lumens- 1.5hr
• Medium 300 lumens- 2.5hr
• Low 100 lumens- 4hr
• Flash 300 lumens- 5hr

To turn on the unit, hold down the button on the top of the torch for 1.5 seconds. It illuminates at high power first. Hit the button again to tab down to Medium, and so on through to Flash mode, and then it will cycle around back to High. To power down, hold the button down for 1.5 seconds.

The light indicates low power by kicking down to the Low mode and flashing occasionally indicating approximately 15 minutes of reserve battery power. Additionally, you can re-charge from any point in the discharge of the battery without affecting the run times according to Lezyne. Leaving the battery plugged into the USB charge cable and a computer/power source after a complete charge also is not detrimental to the unit.

The light mounted up to my bars easily, and it has a swivel which allows for a few degrees of tilt side to side to adjust the beam as you like it. Of course, up and down is adjusted simply by twisting the bar mount on the bars. Sadly, there is no helmet mount included.  The Lezyne Super Drive MSRP is $109.00.

I haven't had a chance to ride this with this light yet, but my impressions are that if it can live up to its claims it will be a great little light. I'll have more to say soon after I get some rides in on it.

Note: Lezyne sent this light over to be reviewed on The Cyclistsite at no charge. They did not bribe me nor pay me for this post, and I will strive to give my honest opinions and thoughts throughout.

Lezyne Super Drive: New Generation LED Light

It's not all that big

The good folks at Lezyne sent over this new Super Drive LED light to be reviewed on The Cyclistsite. It is one of three models Lezyne is introducing for 2012.

I thought I would give everyone a sneak peek at this much anticipated light.

The Lezyne lights have been teased since Interbike and were strongly rumored before then, but details were somewhat scarce. The line up includes this top of the line Super Drive, the Power Drive, and the Mini Drive.

The range has some zap to it power-wise too. The top end Super Drive sports 450 lumens, the Power Drive has 300 lumens and the Mini Drive has a high power of 150 lumens. All are self contained units. No separate battery packs here. My first impression upon looking at the Super Drive was, "Man! That thing isn't very big."

It is about the size of a Mag Lite Mini, if you are familiar with those older Halogen bulbed flashlights. It is light in weight, and the model I have here is anodized in a nice pewter hue.

The package contains everything you need to get up and rolling. There are two mounts to match up with 25.4mm or 31.8mm bars, a thumbscrew to fasten the clamps, the proprietary battery, torch body/lens with mounting base, the USB charger cord, and the instructions.

The torch has a rear cover that unscrews to allow access to the inner cavity where the battery resides. Install the battery, hook up the USB cord to the covered port at the base of the torch body, and plug it into your powered USB port on your computer, or USB power wall wart. The instructions claim a four hour charge time, but my example was charged fully in just over three hours out of the box.

Interestingly, the light is made to flash softly as it charges. When it stops, the light is fully charged. If you want an assurance that it is done charging, the instructions say unplug the USB cord, then plug back in, and the light should flash once, indicating a full charge. My example didn't do this right off. I un-plugged and plugged back in three times before I got the "one flash then off" signal.

Once charged up, you can expect the following run times:

• High: 450 lumens- 1.5hr
• Medium 300 lumens- 2.5hr
• Low 100 lumens- 4hr
• Flash 300 lumens- 5hr

To turn on the unit, hold down the button on the top of the torch for 1.5 seconds. It illuminates at high power first. Hit the button again to tab down to Medium, and so on through to Flash mode, and then it will cycle around back to High. To power down, hold the button down for 1.5 seconds.

The light indicates low power by kicking down to the Low mode and flashing occasionally indicating approximately 15 minutes of reserve battery power. Additionally, you can re-charge from any point in the discharge of the battery without affecting the run times according to Lezyne. Leaving the battery plugged into the USB charge cable and a computer/power source after a complete charge also is not detrimental to the unit.

The light mounted up to my bars easily, and it has a swivel which allows for a few degrees of tilt side to side to adjust the beam as you like it. Of course, up and down is adjusted simply by twisting the bar mount on the bars. Sadly, there is no helmet mount included.  The Lezyne Super Drive MSRP is $109.00.

I haven't had a chance to ride this with this light yet, but my impressions are that if it can live up to its claims it will be a great little light. I'll have more to say soon after I get some rides in on it.

Note: Lezyne sent this light over to be reviewed on The Cyclistsite at no charge. They did not bribe me nor pay me for this post, and I will strive to give my honest opinions and thoughts throughout.

Righting A Wrong

Pofahl Custom 29"er

I've got a lot of bicycles. No denying that fact. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, by the way. I don't think it is a bad thing as long as I actually use each one that belongs to me when I can.

The trouble is that I have this other gig where people want me to ride their bikes and other stuff. That is also a lot of fun, but it takes time away from the personal bikes. Sometimes the old favorites get parts pinched for projects. Sometimes they just sit and linger unloved.

This gets on my nerves, as I don't like having stuff I don't use around like that. So, this feeling got to a point where I figured I'd better do something about it and I have been refurbishing and primping my older personal rigs when I can find the time. This one, my custom Pofahl 29"er, has been fixed to the point I could ride it again yesterday.

The Pofahl was designed to have a custom bar installed that never happened. So, I started out with a drop bar. The bike has seen several handle bar iterations, but now I have set it back to its "original" drop bar state. The bar here is a Woodchipper. The stem holding it up is a fairly new Bontrager Race Lite.

Looking for some back roads action

This is a single speed specific bike, so I only use disc brake capable, single speed specific wheels on it. These wheels were to go on another bike I have that ended up geared instead. These Industry 9 wheels were then bounced around from project to project for a bit until they were also just sitting around. Well, that wouldn't do!

So they went on the Pofahl- again- and with some good gravel grindin' Vulpines for tires. Everything else has been on this bike for some time now.

My favorite parts are the cranks and the seat post. The cranks are from my old Diamondback V-Link Pro, and are the venerable Race Face Turbine LP's converted to single speed use. They are 180mm ones too. The other part I like here is the Syncros post, a 410mm non-offset aluminum one. That was off my old Klein Attitude.

I threw some old white bar tape on to get it going, but now that everything seems to be happy together, I will be getting some proper bar tape on it. Then it will be off to riding gravel and B Maintenance roads somewhere.

If there is any change, I think it will be to go with a honey colored B-17 Brooks and a new bar wrap of leather bar tape to really set off the bike. Oh yeah.......and a less flashy stem!At least she's rideable. That's the main thing for me. I look forward to getting out on this bike soon.

Righting A Wrong

Pofahl Custom 29"er

I've got a lot of bicycles. No denying that fact. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, by the way. I don't think it is a bad thing as long as I actually use each one that belongs to me when I can.

The trouble is that I have this other gig where people want me to ride their bikes and other stuff. That is also a lot of fun, but it takes time away from the personal bikes. Sometimes the old favorites get parts pinched for projects. Sometimes they just sit and linger unloved.

This gets on my nerves, as I don't like having stuff I don't use around like that. So, this feeling got to a point where I figured I'd better do something about it and I have been refurbishing and primping my older personal rigs when I can find the time. This one, my custom Pofahl 29"er, has been fixed to the point I could ride it again yesterday.

The Pofahl was designed to have a custom bar installed that never happened. So, I started out with a drop bar. The bike has seen several handle bar iterations, but now I have set it back to its "original" drop bar state. The bar here is a Woodchipper. The stem holding it up is a fairly new Bontrager Race Lite.

Looking for some back roads action

This is a single speed specific bike, so I only use disc brake capable, single speed specific wheels on it. These wheels were to go on another bike I have that ended up geared instead. These Industry 9 wheels were then bounced around from project to project for a bit until they were also just sitting around. Well, that wouldn't do!

So they went on the Pofahl- again- and with some good gravel grindin' Vulpines for tires. Everything else has been on this bike for some time now.

My favorite parts are the cranks and the seat post. The cranks are from my old Diamondback V-Link Pro, and are the venerable Race Face Turbine LP's converted to single speed use. They are 180mm ones too. The other part I like here is the Syncros post, a 410mm non-offset aluminum one. That was off my old Klein Attitude.

I threw some old white bar tape on to get it going, but now that everything seems to be happy together, I will be getting some proper bar tape on it. Then it will be off to riding gravel and B Maintenance roads somewhere.

If there is any change, I think it will be to go with a honey colored B-17 Brooks and a new bar wrap of leather bar tape to really set off the bike. Oh yeah.......and a less flashy stem!At least she's rideable. That's the main thing for me. I look forward to getting out on this bike soon.

On The Road To Recovery

You know, there are some things in most of our lives we'd rather forget. Things like that window you broke when you were seven, the time you put the car in the ditch in high school, or maybe ever asking that one person out. Whatever it is, we all have those moments. I had a weekend that was mostly forgettable on that same level.

Lincoln Stars vs Waterloo Blackhawks

Now.....don't get me wrong. There were some highlights. That said, it wouldn't take a whole lot to rise above the depths of what was Friday. Yeah....there were about four hours in there I'd rather not ever go through again!

Got kids? well, if you do, you will understand the following. My son came down ill on Wednesday night. Bad vomiting, stomach ache, head ache- the typical 24 hour deal. Well, he ended up sharing that with the entire Guitar Ted household.

And wouldn't ya know it? I got the worst end of the stick. My insides were at war with me, and they almost won. Almost. (There was a bit there where I wish they would have won, and that I could just die. Really. )

I won't go into all the gory details. Just know that when devoid of almost all bodily fluids, you really get weak, and the hurt is really bad. It has been a slow walk back from that pit the rest of the weekend. Not that I am back yet either. I'm not. You just don't bounce back at my age like you used to.

So, no bike riding for me this weekend. It was pretty darn nice out there too, for a mid-December weekend, that is. I actually was planning on doing some Trans Iowa recon, but alas. Not to be.

I did get to play my guitar at the church, make a lot of noise, and went to a hockey game with my two kids, who are almost recovered themselves. Mrs. Guitar Ted is the one sick now. She's coming along though. One of those deals.......

Hope you got to ride some roads or trails this past weekend. Me? I'm still on the Road To Recovery.

On The Road To Recovery

You know, there are some things in most of our lives we'd rather forget. Things like that window you broke when you were seven, the time you put the car in the ditch in high school, or maybe ever asking that one person out. Whatever it is, we all have those moments. I had a weekend that was mostly forgettable on that same level.

Lincoln Stars vs Waterloo Blackhawks

Now.....don't get me wrong. There were some highlights. That said, it wouldn't take a whole lot to rise above the depths of what was Friday. Yeah....there were about four hours in there I'd rather not ever go through again!

Got kids? well, if you do, you will understand the following. My son came down ill on Wednesday night. Bad vomiting, stomach ache, head ache- the typical 24 hour deal. Well, he ended up sharing that with the entire Guitar Ted household.

And wouldn't ya know it? I got the worst end of the stick. My insides were at war with me, and they almost won. Almost. (There was a bit there where I wish they would have won, and that I could just die. Really. )

I won't go into all the gory details. Just know that when devoid of almost all bodily fluids, you really get weak, and the hurt is really bad. It has been a slow walk back from that pit the rest of the weekend. Not that I am back yet either. I'm not. You just don't bounce back at my age like you used to.

So, no bike riding for me this weekend. It was pretty darn nice out there too, for a mid-December weekend, that is. I actually was planning on doing some Trans Iowa recon, but alas. Not to be.

I did get to play my guitar at the church, make a lot of noise, and went to a hockey game with my two kids, who are almost recovered themselves. Mrs. Guitar Ted is the one sick now. She's coming along though. One of those deals.......

Hope you got to ride some roads or trails this past weekend. Me? I'm still on the Road To Recovery.