News Season

It seems to be a normal thing now.  Summertime is really "Mountain Bike News Time" anymore. While there will be things sprinkled throughout the warmer months for us dirt heads to chew on, I think it was rather odd and ironic that both Niner Bikes and Salsa Cycles released news of 2014 bikes yesterday. Let's see now....

Niner R.O.S.9

Niner actually announced two models, but the big news here is a AM hard tail called the "R.O.S.9" This burly steel hard tail follows in the vein of those that have come before it like the Kona Honzo, Canfield Nimble 9 and Yelli Screamy, and models from Singular, Diamondback and Cromag, not to mention some others.

Same story here- Short chain stays, (sub 17"), slack head angle, (68° with a 140mm fork), and a 142mm X 12mm through axle rear end for stiffness. Dropper post compatible, yadda, yadda, yadda....

While more choices in this category are fine with me, I find a couple of things jump to mind: First, is this kind of a fad? I remember 26"ers went through an "ultra-short" chain stay phase in the early 90's and there were several reasons that idea was abandoned. Are we going to see that happen again here with these crazy-short stayed 29"ers?  It makes you wonder if the Trek Stache isn't so crazy now with its 17.5" stays and slacker angles up front. It just seems strange that Trek is the "odd man out" in this area. They either got it right or are crazy.

Secondly- isn't it odd that, with a few exceptions, most of these bikes are steel? Makes me wonder if the designers like the failure mode better with steel considering the use group. Hmm...... I could be totally wrong there. It is also interesting to note that Niner's first proto of this bike they ever showed was aluminum.

Image courtesy of Dirt Rag

Salsa Cycles Redesigns Their FS Range: 

Well, this cat is outta the bag, so I can talk about this a bit. I signed a non disclosure agreement back in February when I actually saw these rigs in the flesh at Frostbike. I gotta tell ya- it has been hard not to talk about this! 

Basically, Salsa called in Dave Weagle of Split Pivot fame and consulted with him to integrate his design into a new range of Salsa full suspension 29"ers. Still dubbed Spearfish and  Horsethief, with the same user intentions intact, these new bikes are going to be pretty cool. Split Pivot is a concentric pivot at the rear axle which helps divide the braking forces from the suspension forces. That helps keep the suspension active during braking, and that means more traction and more control. DW Link designs also can have varying levels of "anti-squat" depending upon the finer details of the design for any particular client of Mr. Weagle. So that may mean the new Salsa rigs will have some cool traits during climbing. I'm sure all the fine details will hit when Saddledrive happens next month and some of the other dealers get schwing-dinged out there by QBP to try them. I'll be interested to hear what they think. Me? pfft! I can't afford to get out there, so I'll be lucky to get to a demo, like last year. We'll see.

Salsa has more up there sleeves for 2014, so this isn't all you'll be hearing from that camp. And there will be more from other companies soon as well. "Press Camp" is happening in Utah right now, and more private dealer shows will be coming which are sprinkled throughout these high Summer months. Stay tuned for more....

 

News Season

It seems to be a normal thing now.  Summertime is really "Mountain Bike News Time" anymore. While there will be things sprinkled throughout the warmer months for us dirt heads to chew on, I think it was rather odd and ironic that both Niner Bikes and Salsa Cycles released news of 2014 bikes yesterday. Let's see now....

Niner R.O.S.9

Niner actually announced two models, but the big news here is a AM hard tail called the "R.O.S.9" This burly steel hard tail follows in the vein of those that have come before it like the Kona Honzo, Canfield Nimble 9 and Yelli Screamy, and models from Singular, Diamondback and Cromag, not to mention some others.

Same story here- Short chain stays, (sub 17"), slack head angle, (68° with a 140mm fork), and a 142mm X 12mm through axle rear end for stiffness. Dropper post compatible, yadda, yadda, yadda....

While more choices in this category are fine with me, I find a couple of things jump to mind: First, is this kind of a fad? I remember 26"ers went through an "ultra-short" chain stay phase in the early 90's and there were several reasons that idea was abandoned. Are we going to see that happen again here with these crazy-short stayed 29"ers?  It makes you wonder if the Trek Stache isn't so crazy now with its 17.5" stays and slacker angles up front. It just seems strange that Trek is the "odd man out" in this area. They either got it right or are crazy.

Secondly- isn't it odd that, with a few exceptions, most of these bikes are steel? Makes me wonder if the designers like the failure mode better with steel considering the use group. Hmm...... I could be totally wrong there. It is also interesting to note that Niner's first proto of this bike they ever showed was aluminum.

Image courtesy of Dirt Rag

Salsa Cycles Redesigns Their FS Range: 

Well, this cat is outta the bag, so I can talk about this a bit. I signed a non disclosure agreement back in February when I actually saw these rigs in the flesh at Frostbike. I gotta tell ya- it has been hard not to talk about this! 

Basically, Salsa called in Dave Weagle of Split Pivot fame and consulted with him to integrate his design into a new range of Salsa full suspension 29"ers. Still dubbed Spearfish and  Horsethief, with the same user intentions intact, these new bikes are going to be pretty cool. Split Pivot is a concentric pivot at the rear axle which helps divide the braking forces from the suspension forces. That helps keep the suspension active during braking, and that means more traction and more control. DW Link designs also can have varying levels of "anti-squat" depending upon the finer details of the design for any particular client of Mr. Weagle. So that may mean the new Salsa rigs will have some cool traits during climbing. I'm sure all the fine details will hit when Saddledrive happens next month and some of the other dealers get schwing-dinged out there by QBP to try them. I'll be interested to hear what they think. Me? pfft! I can't afford to get out there, so I'll be lucky to get to a demo, like last year. We'll see.

Salsa has more up there sleeves for 2014, so this isn't all you'll be hearing from that camp. And there will be more from other companies soon as well. "Press Camp" is happening in Utah right now, and more private dealer shows will be coming which are sprinkled throughout these high Summer months. Stay tuned for more....

 

Catching Up Here....

Ah....this bike rack is too small!

Well, I have a few tidbits I wanted to catch up on before time got too far down the road on me. So, here are a couple of things that have happened recently around here....

Father's Day: Best Dad's Day I've had in awhile. I got to do a little grillin' ahead of the day, and on the holiday proper, it was a gloriously sunshiny day which I enjoyed by going for a ride with my Son. I rode By-Tor the Titanium Mukluk and boy! Does it ever need a cleaning! Oh well- I didn't let that stop me from enjoying a good time with my Son, and I even got in some slow speed grinding when we stopped at an abandoned school yard. Jacob played on the playground equipment while I made laps in some of the deepest pea gravel I've seen in a while. Just about mimics going through deep, fresh snow. Only it sounds a lot differently!

Mrs. Guitar Ted even got me a new tool chest! How about that? Yeah, it was a really great day. Thanks to all my family for making it a memorable one.

Speaking Of The Mukluk: 

I had a few e-mail exchanges with a fellow from Oz recently. He's a bag maker, and I have made arrangements to have a bit of a frame bag sent out for some upcoming adventures. 

Australian frame bag goodness.

In fact, this bag maker, called Bike Bag Dude, already has the frame bag done. I have an image he forwarded to me here. This bag is custom fit to my Mukluk and has a two zipper opening with a "false floor" that can be removed to make the interior a cavernous hold area for satellites and  transportation of small furry critters. (Well- no, not really! ) But the bag does have the false floor and can be made to be one big bag, or a two compartment affair.

This is the "Standard" bag and weighs 445 grams fully lined in an orange, which I figured would make it easier for my dim eyes to find stuff inside of it. Colors are chosen by the clients, and this one is a light grey to match the titanium Muk. Bike Bag Dude can also do an ultra-light version which is unlined, if you are super-freakish about weight.

There will be a couple of accessory items to go along with this, but I'll leave that for later. This frame bag will be doing duty at an upcoming long distance gravel event, and of course, lots of Winter time shenanigans as well. Triple D again, perhaps? We'll see.....I am excited to give this stuff a whirl and find out how I can utilize it for my adventures.

Project Two Six

Project Two Six Update:

It has been a while since I have talked about Project Two Six here. That is the Schwinn High Sierra that I refurrbed into a "townie". It has been a great little utility bike around the town here.

It has the rare roller cam style brakes on it, which you either know all about, or you think they are "weird U brakes". I have a boss on the front fork that is slightly mushroomed, and I do not have the proper milling tool for that repair, so the front brake is a little weird, but the back brake works like butter. One of these days I'll address that front brake and get it operating correctly.

The 1 X 5 drive train is simple, effective, quiet, near maintenance free, and has never given me a problem. Friction shifter, of course! Brooks Professional by way of Captain Bob is not really the "right" saddle for this bike, ( a B-67 would be better, or a Flyer), but doesn't it look "right" on there? It works well enough for me, so I am in no hurry to replace it just yet. I stuck a pretty upright Tioga stem on this with a Salsa 17° bar and Ergon grips with old Deore DX levers doing the brake duties. There used to be some nutcase that sold crazy cheap deals at QBP's open house back in the day. That's where the levers came from. I think I paid a buck for them and they came out of a bucket! This was waaaaay before Frostbike days. What was that guys name? Anyway....

I did a lot of detail filing on this crown

The biggest surprise for me about the bike is the Continental Winter Contact tires. These things are Winter specific with a special softer compound and all these grippy edges. I figured I would burn them up and swap out to other tires in a big hurry, but they have lasted. They show no appreciable signs of wear after three years of errands on pavement.

The rack and panniers are the self same set that I used for two overland self contained tours in the mid-90's. The wheels are off an 84 Mongoose Mountain Pro and have drilled out rims, just like the newer fat bikes. (What's old is new again!) Everything here is bolt on. No QR levers in sight, so the theft issues are less with this ike. Not to mention I had it powder coated in a textured military green color, which really makes it drab and  not noteworthy.

Anyway, it has been a great bike and really, really useful. The geometry is a knock off of the early Marin style mtb's. I figure this is my "poor man's Ritchey Timber Comp". I'll likely never get to ride one of those!

Well, that should about do it. Thanks for reading!

Catching Up Here....

Ah....this bike rack is too small!

Well, I have a few tidbits I wanted to catch up on before time got too far down the road on me. So, here are a couple of things that have happened recently around here....

Father's Day: Best Dad's Day I've had in awhile. I got to do a little grillin' ahead of the day, and on the holiday proper, it was a gloriously sunshiny day which I enjoyed by going for a ride with my Son. I rode By-Tor the Titanium Mukluk and boy! Does it ever need a cleaning! Oh well- I didn't let that stop me from enjoying a good time with my Son, and I even got in some slow speed grinding when we stopped at an abandoned school yard. Jacob played on the playground equipment while I made laps in some of the deepest pea gravel I've seen in a while. Just about mimics going through deep, fresh snow. Only it sounds a lot differently!

Mrs. Guitar Ted even got me a new tool chest! How about that? Yeah, it was a really great day. Thanks to all my family for making it a memorable one.

Speaking Of The Mukluk: 

I had a few e-mail exchanges with a fellow from Oz recently. He's a bag maker, and I have made arrangements to have a bit of a frame bag sent out for some upcoming adventures. 

Australian frame bag goodness.

In fact, this bag maker, called Bike Bag Dude, already has the frame bag done. I have an image he forwarded to me here. This bag is custom fit to my Mukluk and has a two zipper opening with a "false floor" that can be removed to make the interior a cavernous hold area for satellites and  transportation of small furry critters. (Well- no, not really! ) But the bag does have the false floor and can be made to be one big bag, or a two compartment affair.

This is the "Standard" bag and weighs 445 grams fully lined in an orange, which I figured would make it easier for my dim eyes to find stuff inside of it. Colors are chosen by the clients, and this one is a light grey to match the titanium Muk. Bike Bag Dude can also do an ultra-light version which is unlined, if you are super-freakish about weight.

There will be a couple of accessory items to go along with this, but I'll leave that for later. This frame bag will be doing duty at an upcoming long distance gravel event, and of course, lots of Winter time shenanigans as well. Triple D again, perhaps? We'll see.....I am excited to give this stuff a whirl and find out how I can utilize it for my adventures.

Project Two Six

Project Two Six Update:

It has been a while since I have talked about Project Two Six here. That is the Schwinn High Sierra that I refurrbed into a "townie". It has been a great little utility bike around the town here.

It has the rare roller cam style brakes on it, which you either know all about, or you think they are "weird U brakes". I have a boss on the front fork that is slightly mushroomed, and I do not have the proper milling tool for that repair, so the front brake is a little weird, but the back brake works like butter. One of these days I'll address that front brake and get it operating correctly.

The 1 X 5 drive train is simple, effective, quiet, near maintenance free, and has never given me a problem. Friction shifter, of course! Brooks Professional by way of Captain Bob is not really the "right" saddle for this bike, ( a B-67 would be better, or a Flyer), but doesn't it look "right" on there? It works well enough for me, so I am in no hurry to replace it just yet. I stuck a pretty upright Tioga stem on this with a Salsa 17° bar and Ergon grips with old Deore DX levers doing the brake duties. There used to be some nutcase that sold crazy cheap deals at QBP's open house back in the day. That's where the levers came from. I think I paid a buck for them and they came out of a bucket! This was waaaaay before Frostbike days. What was that guys name? Anyway....

I did a lot of detail filing on this crown

The biggest surprise for me about the bike is the Continental Winter Contact tires. These things are Winter specific with a special softer compound and all these grippy edges. I figured I would burn them up and swap out to other tires in a big hurry, but they have lasted. They show no appreciable signs of wear after three years of errands on pavement.

The rack and panniers are the self same set that I used for two overland self contained tours in the mid-90's. The wheels are off an 84 Mongoose Mountain Pro and have drilled out rims, just like the newer fat bikes. (What's old is new again!) Everything here is bolt on. No QR levers in sight, so the theft issues are less with this ike. Not to mention I had it powder coated in a textured military green color, which really makes it drab and  not noteworthy.

Anyway, it has been a great bike and really, really useful. The geometry is a knock off of the early Marin style mtb's. I figure this is my "poor man's Ritchey Timber Comp". I'll likely never get to ride one of those!

Well, that should about do it. Thanks for reading!

3GR Report: Solo Beat Down

Rolling hills North of W'loo

It rained all night, but it cleared up by morning and was looking to stay that way. So, I rolled outta the sack at 7:00am to get to Gates Swimming Pool parking lot by 8:30am. I had done a little Father's Day pre-celebrating the night before, thanks to the family, and stayed up a bit too late as well. I wasn't on my best form for sure, but I had to get on the bike and go. I wasn't quite sure how this was all going to go, but I made it down there with 10 minutes to spare.

The day looked fine. A bit of wind out of the South, but the skies were clear and the temperature was very comfortable. It was just the rain that we had during the overnight that concerned me a bit. Fortunately, I have this SKS Race Blade clip on rear splash guard and I fixed this to the BMC just before rolling out. Later on I was super thankful that I had done that!

Visiting the "big rock" which gave Big Rock Road its name

I was thinking since it was Father's Day weekend that I may not see anyone for the ride. Well, that and the recent rain. It was still raining at 6:00am, so it may have scared off a few folks, I don't know. At any rate, no one showed this time, so I immediately started looking for a public restroom! I had to go!

Fortunately the park near by had a porta-jon that was actually clean and I used it straight away. Now feeling far better, I was going to go out and change up the route a bit. Instead of going up to the North a half mile from the start, I went an extra mile to Sage Road, turned North, and headed out of town on the rolling hills Northeast of Waterloo.

It didn't take long before I found out that the rains had made the gravel roads pretty soft and mushy. It was like riding through a really low rear tire, or as if you were dragging a brake. I was doing okay though, so I just kept pushing through it. Once I reached the corner of Sage Road and Big Rock Road, I took a quickie break to see how I was doing and to snap off a few quick photos. I felt okay, so I remounted and headed back up the mushy roadway.

So now the internal debate began. How far to go, would the rains develop again, and would I have the legs today to pull anything off? Maybe I would have to make an early left turn and cut the loop short? I wasn't really sure of anything, but I just kept turning over the cranks and thinking it all over.  The roads were not improving either. If anything, it was getting worse.

Cutting in....

I'd never seen these roads like this before. I've been out this way at all times of the year, and even during the Spring thaws, these roads hold up really well. However; the rains have been heavy and close together of late. The road way was saturated with water. The Vee Rubber 47mm tires were making that "wet mud" noise and I could look down at the front tire and see that it was wet. I was having troubles holding a line. I think it was the tires in combination with the wetter surface, which would allow the tire to cut in and that would grab the bike and send it off line a bit. Those Vee Rubber tires have an oddly crowned profile, which wasn't helping matters.

I was going slow enough that I ended up snapping off quite a few photos from the bike. It took my mind off from the grinding, heavy pressure of plowing through the soft road surface. Good thing the wind, what there was of it, was at my backside, or I may have gotten really cooked instead of slowly beat down. I got some satisfactory images out of it though, so that was a positive.

Still the internal debate was waged all along. I was trying to decided whether to go for the longer route, or to cut it short just as I hit a dead flat section that was about two miles in length. Apparently, due to the table flatness of the road, the water was not draining away, but was sitting there. It saturated the roadway and was like riding through a wet sponge.

 Maxfield School- One room German Schoolhouse 1881

In fact, it got downright muddy, and the gravelly goo was collecting on my fork and chain stays to the point that I was getting slowed down to a near halt. I tried to find more firm footing, but it was touch and go for a bit there. Like a B Maintenance road, this would have been better if I had walked it, maybe. Oh well, I slogged through and after the terrain got rolling again, the roads were better drained and not nearly as bad. It just about had me making a left turn at the county line though!

I didn't have to make that turn, which was nice, since the roads straightened up for me and actually were decent in Bremer County. Much better than in Black Hawk, so I decided to pull off the longer option after all. And I was glad that I did. the next four miles or so were all on roads I have not ridden before. As I turned left on 250th, I saw a church with a rather large cemetery and the headstones were large and ostentatious for a rural cemetery without a town at hand. I then noted an old, one room school house with a rather German influence on the signage. I later researched the location and found that it was a small settlement of German immigrants at one time named Maxfield. You just never know what you'll find off the beaten path in Iowa.

So, with all that gone by, I ended up joining the 3GR route of the last few weeks for a bit, as I entered Ivanhoe Road for a mile or so. Then I turned back South, into the wind, for the long stretch that would eventually become Burton Avenue in Black Hawk County.

  Gravel muck stuck on the BMC

But not before a few miles of big, steep rollers, mostly in Bremer County, that really were kicking my butt now. I somehow powered over these and survived to reach the flatter portions nearer to Waterloo, but by this time the wind was kicking up a bit more, right into my face.

I ended up having to pull off into a field entrance to have a bit of a "nature break", and noticed all the muck caked on the frame and underside of the clip on fender. This made me smile, as I was glad to have had that bit of plastic there to deflect what otherwise would have been plastered up my backside.

Back on board the bike now and to finish off the ride, I reached town to find that the bicycle path I had intended on taking was under water again due to the heavy rains. Hmm.... A bit of cross country and a connection to a nearby street solved the puzzle, but at the expense of my already taxed legs and lower back. Yep, and the previous night's celebrating was making it hard for me to eat or drink anything, so I was running on fumes by rides end.

Okay, I made it, but I was in a zombie-like thousand yard stare for most of the rest of Saturday, and still was feeling it yesterday as well. I did a little spin with my Son for Father's Day and that helped wake the legs back up again, but that 3GR was quite the ride! Combining poor pre-ride planning and tough conditions was not a good mix, but hey! Maybe I needed that to get stronger, eh? 

3GR Report: Solo Beat Down

Rolling hills North of W'loo

It rained all night, but it cleared up by morning and was looking to stay that way. So, I rolled outta the sack at 7:00am to get to Gates Swimming Pool parking lot by 8:30am. I had done a little Father's Day pre-celebrating the night before, thanks to the family, and stayed up a bit too late as well. I wasn't on my best form for sure, but I had to get on the bike and go. I wasn't quite sure how this was all going to go, but I made it down there with 10 minutes to spare.

The day looked fine. A bit of wind out of the South, but the skies were clear and the temperature was very comfortable. It was just the rain that we had during the overnight that concerned me a bit. Fortunately, I have this SKS Race Blade clip on rear splash guard and I fixed this to the BMC just before rolling out. Later on I was super thankful that I had done that!

Visiting the "big rock" which gave Big Rock Road its name

I was thinking since it was Father's Day weekend that I may not see anyone for the ride. Well, that and the recent rain. It was still raining at 6:00am, so it may have scared off a few folks, I don't know. At any rate, no one showed this time, so I immediately started looking for a public restroom! I had to go!

Fortunately the park near by had a porta-jon that was actually clean and I used it straight away. Now feeling far better, I was going to go out and change up the route a bit. Instead of going up to the North a half mile from the start, I went an extra mile to Sage Road, turned North, and headed out of town on the rolling hills Northeast of Waterloo.

It didn't take long before I found out that the rains had made the gravel roads pretty soft and mushy. It was like riding through a really low rear tire, or as if you were dragging a brake. I was doing okay though, so I just kept pushing through it. Once I reached the corner of Sage Road and Big Rock Road, I took a quickie break to see how I was doing and to snap off a few quick photos. I felt okay, so I remounted and headed back up the mushy roadway.

So now the internal debate began. How far to go, would the rains develop again, and would I have the legs today to pull anything off? Maybe I would have to make an early left turn and cut the loop short? I wasn't really sure of anything, but I just kept turning over the cranks and thinking it all over.  The roads were not improving either. If anything, it was getting worse.

Cutting in....

I'd never seen these roads like this before. I've been out this way at all times of the year, and even during the Spring thaws, these roads hold up really well. However; the rains have been heavy and close together of late. The road way was saturated with water. The Vee Rubber 47mm tires were making that "wet mud" noise and I could look down at the front tire and see that it was wet. I was having troubles holding a line. I think it was the tires in combination with the wetter surface, which would allow the tire to cut in and that would grab the bike and send it off line a bit. Those Vee Rubber tires have an oddly crowned profile, which wasn't helping matters.

I was going slow enough that I ended up snapping off quite a few photos from the bike. It took my mind off from the grinding, heavy pressure of plowing through the soft road surface. Good thing the wind, what there was of it, was at my backside, or I may have gotten really cooked instead of slowly beat down. I got some satisfactory images out of it though, so that was a positive.

Still the internal debate was waged all along. I was trying to decided whether to go for the longer route, or to cut it short just as I hit a dead flat section that was about two miles in length. Apparently, due to the table flatness of the road, the water was not draining away, but was sitting there. It saturated the roadway and was like riding through a wet sponge.

 Maxfield School- One room German Schoolhouse 1881

In fact, it got downright muddy, and the gravelly goo was collecting on my fork and chain stays to the point that I was getting slowed down to a near halt. I tried to find more firm footing, but it was touch and go for a bit there. Like a B Maintenance road, this would have been better if I had walked it, maybe. Oh well, I slogged through and after the terrain got rolling again, the roads were better drained and not nearly as bad. It just about had me making a left turn at the county line though!

I didn't have to make that turn, which was nice, since the roads straightened up for me and actually were decent in Bremer County. Much better than in Black Hawk, so I decided to pull off the longer option after all. And I was glad that I did. the next four miles or so were all on roads I have not ridden before. As I turned left on 250th, I saw a church with a rather large cemetery and the headstones were large and ostentatious for a rural cemetery without a town at hand. I then noted an old, one room school house with a rather German influence on the signage. I later researched the location and found that it was a small settlement of German immigrants at one time named Maxfield. You just never know what you'll find off the beaten path in Iowa.

So, with all that gone by, I ended up joining the 3GR route of the last few weeks for a bit, as I entered Ivanhoe Road for a mile or so. Then I turned back South, into the wind, for the long stretch that would eventually become Burton Avenue in Black Hawk County.

  Gravel muck stuck on the BMC

But not before a few miles of big, steep rollers, mostly in Bremer County, that really were kicking my butt now. I somehow powered over these and survived to reach the flatter portions nearer to Waterloo, but by this time the wind was kicking up a bit more, right into my face.

I ended up having to pull off into a field entrance to have a bit of a "nature break", and noticed all the muck caked on the frame and underside of the clip on fender. This made me smile, as I was glad to have had that bit of plastic there to deflect what otherwise would have been plastered up my backside.

Back on board the bike now and to finish off the ride, I reached town to find that the bicycle path I had intended on taking was under water again due to the heavy rains. Hmm.... A bit of cross country and a connection to a nearby street solved the puzzle, but at the expense of my already taxed legs and lower back. Yep, and the previous night's celebrating was making it hard for me to eat or drink anything, so I was running on fumes by rides end.

Okay, I made it, but I was in a zombie-like thousand yard stare for most of the rest of Saturday, and still was feeling it yesterday as well. I did a little spin with my Son for Father's Day and that helped wake the legs back up again, but that 3GR was quite the ride! Combining poor pre-ride planning and tough conditions was not a good mix, but hey! Maybe I needed that to get stronger, eh? 

Barns For Jason: Father's Day Version

My friend Jason just got back from a stellar trip riding beaches in Alaska. I'm sure the scenery he saw up there was majestic and awe inspiring, so what I have here is probably not very interesting, but hey! It's what we've got, and it is my "welcome back to the Mid-West" for him........oh! And Happy Father's Day to Jason and all you dad's out there today as well.

Barns For Jason: Father's Day Version

My friend Jason just got back from a stellar trip riding beaches in Alaska. I'm sure the scenery he saw up there was majestic and awe inspiring, so what I have here is probably not very interesting, but hey! It's what we've got, and it is my "welcome back to the Mid-West" for him........oh! And Happy Father's Day to Jason and all you dad's out there today as well.

Gravel Mutt Project Update; Nearly Done Painting

A look with the Brooks on there...

Gravel Mutt Project:

Well, I thought I was done painting! I found about three spots that need a touch up, and then it'll be good to go for assembly. I laid the frame and fork up in my hot, dry attic for several days to help cure the paint, and then last night I tried doing some final buffing by hand. That's when I found the three areas I missed getting enough paint on. A quick hit in the garage today and then that'll be done, and I will just proceed from there after it dries awhile.

I found a couple things that will slightly alter the planned build. First thing has to do with the seat post. I assumed it was a 27.2mm post, but when I went to fit my Ritchey post it would not go in. Subsequent investigation led to the original post and a discovery that it was, in fact, a 26.8mm post. Very common in the early 90's, but pretty rare these days. The original post does have plenty of set back, which is nice from the standpoint of using a Brooks saddle, so I think it will suffice.

The second thing I found was at work where I discovered that at some point I had squirreled away a vintage 105 model Shimano crank from about the same time period as this Trek. It is a double, of course, so it will work great as a single ring set up for the planned 1X7.

So, that's it for now. More updates soon!

Gravel Mutt Project Update; Nearly Done Painting

A look with the Brooks on there...

Gravel Mutt Project:

Well, I thought I was done painting! I found about three spots that need a touch up, and then it'll be good to go for assembly. I laid the frame and fork up in my hot, dry attic for several days to help cure the paint, and then last night I tried doing some final buffing by hand. That's when I found the three areas I missed getting enough paint on. A quick hit in the garage today and then that'll be done, and I will just proceed from there after it dries awhile.

I found a couple things that will slightly alter the planned build. First thing has to do with the seat post. I assumed it was a 27.2mm post, but when I went to fit my Ritchey post it would not go in. Subsequent investigation led to the original post and a discovery that it was, in fact, a 26.8mm post. Very common in the early 90's, but pretty rare these days. The original post does have plenty of set back, which is nice from the standpoint of using a Brooks saddle, so I think it will suffice.

The second thing I found was at work where I discovered that at some point I had squirreled away a vintage 105 model Shimano crank from about the same time period as this Trek. It is a double, of course, so it will work great as a single ring set up for the planned 1X7.

So, that's it for now. More updates soon!

Friday News And Views

Tour Divide: Today the Tour Divide kicks off in Banff Canada. I have an interest in this year's event since I know a few folks in the ride. One of them I know pretty well, since he is a local, and I have ridden with him a few times. That would be Mike Johnson, and I'll be doing the "blue dot junkie" thing for a few weeks watching his progress. You can check on any of the Tour Divide riders by watching this site here.

'Sippi Hole

Fargo Gen 2 Update:

Last Winter I got ahold of a G2 offset, 80mm travel Reba and stuck it on my Fargo off road specific rig. I've often wondered if this would be a "drop bar El Mariachi", for all intents and purposes. The suspension fork really changes the way I feel about the bike for sure.

I used to have my El Mar set up as a rigid, geared bike, and it was an awesome bike in that set up. The Fargo before the sus fork was similar, and now with that Reba, it is downright peachy. Very much different from the "gravel road" set up on the Gen 1 Fargo. Completely different bikes now, even though they are exactly the same color, (albeit with different graphics). That's a good thing, because it doesn't make any sense to have two Fargos that are the same, or even similar. Hint: It will not be the last Fargo I have either.......

So, this is good. I have a geared hard tail 29"er off road rig again. For awhile there I thought I'd have nothing but 29"er single speeds and fat bikes! (Not that there is anything wrong with any of those.) I may look into a frame bag for this one. But I may not and I may go a different route. We'll see.... The whole 29+ thing, which I hope expands, looks like a great platform for bikepacking, so I am holding out for more options to appear there. If they do, as I think, that will be where I go with a bike packing rig.

My Son on a ride with me recently

Upgrade For The Boy:

I was riding with my Son recently and I noticed his leg extension wasn't. So, I stopped him, grabbed the multi-tool and raised his saddle an inch and a half to the max extension line. No surprises here. I mean, he's going to be 10 next month and he's growing up. Well, we get back going again and I see that things are better, but.......it's time for a new bike. 

Now he knows all about what a fat bike can do, and he gets real bummed when he can not go or do what I do on my fat bike. He has wished for one of his own for sometime now, but I always had to remind him that he was too small. Well, that's not an issue anymore. It appears from my measuring him that he may fit an XS sized Mukluk now. So, I've determined that I am going to put the youngin' on a fat bike. Why not? I know he'd love it, and why should I hog all the fun?

So, I'll likely be denying myself some goodies in the upcoming months to set the boy up with something. Stay tuned.... 

3GR:

Once again, there is flooding going on and I will start the 3GR from the Gates Park Swimming Pool parking lot in Waterloo at 8:30, if it isn't raining. There are thunderstorms forecast for Saturday, but it may not kick in till later in the day. Still, if it looks iffy, I'll be calling it off. No need to be a lightning rod!

The route appears to be a tad over 30 miles the way we are doing it now, and if you haven't done Ivanhoe Road in Bremer County, it's a pretty nice ride. Join up and see for yourself. I may or may not be doing a single speed ride, but we'll see. I need to get the single speed legs going again.

Okay- have a great weekend and ride your bicycles!

Friday News And Views

Tour Divide: Today the Tour Divide kicks off in Banff Canada. I have an interest in this year's event since I know a few folks in the ride. One of them I know pretty well, since he is a local, and I have ridden with him a few times. That would be Mike Johnson, and I'll be doing the "blue dot junkie" thing for a few weeks watching his progress. You can check on any of the Tour Divide riders by watching this site here.

'Sippi Hole

Fargo Gen 2 Update:

Last Winter I got ahold of a G2 offset, 80mm travel Reba and stuck it on my Fargo off road specific rig. I've often wondered if this would be a "drop bar El Mariachi", for all intents and purposes. The suspension fork really changes the way I feel about the bike for sure.

I used to have my El Mar set up as a rigid, geared bike, and it was an awesome bike in that set up. The Fargo before the sus fork was similar, and now with that Reba, it is downright peachy. Very much different from the "gravel road" set up on the Gen 1 Fargo. Completely different bikes now, even though they are exactly the same color, (albeit with different graphics). That's a good thing, because it doesn't make any sense to have two Fargos that are the same, or even similar. Hint: It will not be the last Fargo I have either.......

So, this is good. I have a geared hard tail 29"er off road rig again. For awhile there I thought I'd have nothing but 29"er single speeds and fat bikes! (Not that there is anything wrong with any of those.) I may look into a frame bag for this one. But I may not and I may go a different route. We'll see.... The whole 29+ thing, which I hope expands, looks like a great platform for bikepacking, so I am holding out for more options to appear there. If they do, as I think, that will be where I go with a bike packing rig.

My Son on a ride with me recently

Upgrade For The Boy:

I was riding with my Son recently and I noticed his leg extension wasn't. So, I stopped him, grabbed the multi-tool and raised his saddle an inch and a half to the max extension line. No surprises here. I mean, he's going to be 10 next month and he's growing up. Well, we get back going again and I see that things are better, but.......it's time for a new bike. 

Now he knows all about what a fat bike can do, and he gets real bummed when he can not go or do what I do on my fat bike. He has wished for one of his own for sometime now, but I always had to remind him that he was too small. Well, that's not an issue anymore. It appears from my measuring him that he may fit an XS sized Mukluk now. So, I've determined that I am going to put the youngin' on a fat bike. Why not? I know he'd love it, and why should I hog all the fun?

So, I'll likely be denying myself some goodies in the upcoming months to set the boy up with something. Stay tuned.... 

3GR:

Once again, there is flooding going on and I will start the 3GR from the Gates Park Swimming Pool parking lot in Waterloo at 8:30, if it isn't raining. There are thunderstorms forecast for Saturday, but it may not kick in till later in the day. Still, if it looks iffy, I'll be calling it off. No need to be a lightning rod!

The route appears to be a tad over 30 miles the way we are doing it now, and if you haven't done Ivanhoe Road in Bremer County, it's a pretty nice ride. Join up and see for yourself. I may or may not be doing a single speed ride, but we'll see. I need to get the single speed legs going again.

Okay- have a great weekend and ride your bicycles!

"It" May Never Happen: Part 3- Brakes

Now on to the promised post about brakes- disc or cantilevers. There is a bit about what I think to be found in the first post- here. Check that out to see where I am coming from.

Secondly, I must post the TK inspired disclaimer, one more time:


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

First of all, I know there are a lot of bicycle mechanics, bicycle enthusiasts, and especially you bike geeks, that come here and read what I am writing about. The following screed about brakes is not about you guys and gals. This is about why I think it makes sense for the average Joe and Jill to have a certain kind of brake. The bike I am talking about, (seen in the second part of this series here), is the "all-arounder" that I think makes sense for the meat and potatoes of the cycling populace. Yes- I would likely "like" it as well, but that's beside the point!

Secondly, I am neither for, nor against disc brakes on road bikes. I can see why there are reasons someone may want disc brakes on a road bike, but I also see reasons why they are not such a great idea as well. I find it amusing that some folks just blindly accept that disc brakes "solve all the problems" and that cantilever brakes are "retro-grouch components" worthy of the dust bin. The truth, in my opinion, is somewhere in the middle of those two thoughts.

Let me start out with a scenario: Let's say disc brakes were the only choice you have ever had in brakes for cycling. Okay? So, along comes some whiz-bang engineer who declares that a wheel's rim can do double duty!

It can be a rotor and a rim, all at the same time! We simply move the caliper outwards, which should give us great power and modulation, if the "calipers" are correctly designed and set up. This will allow us to ditch the weight of that stainless steel rotor, make the mounting points less heavy, and less of a strain on the frame and wheels. The hub flanges can now be centered and wheels should theoretically be stronger. Overall, we think the system will actually save several grams over current disc brake technology.

What if that was the way things went? Sure- we know the pitfalls of caliper and cantilever brakes: Hard to set up, don't work sometimes in inclement weather, and are less powerful. Right? Isn't that the "party line" on cantilever brakes these days?

• Hard To Set Up: And disc brakes are not? Especially mechanical disc brakes, which any mechanic will tell you, need to be meticulously set up with proper housings to get maximum braking potential. Of course, no one ever had a disc rotor rubbing, a bent rotor, or a rotor that made noises. Yeah- disc brakes are definitely better than cantilevers in this way. No question, right? Let's not even give credence to the existence of disc brake facing tools, bleeder kits, or shims, because disc brakes rule, and they are just better than cantilever brakes. Duh!
• Cantilever Brakes Don't Work As Well In Bad Weather: Hmm...yeah, probably not. Because, no one ever had disc brake pads wear out in a single ride in bad weather. (Those racers at Moab that one year- that was all a set up by retrogrouch cantilever lovers. Lies!) No one ever had disc brakes make horrible turkey gobbling noises whenever they get wet. (Anyone who says they have is lying, of course.) And everyone knows that the minute it gets ugly out, everyone runs out and finds their cantilever brakes suck, and won't stop them at all, and swear off cycling forever. They should ride disc brakes. Dummies! No one ever lived that rode cantilever brakes in inclement weather, everyone knows this. 
• Cantilevers Are Less Powerful: Yep, another no-brainer. Hydraulic disc brakes rule! (Never mind that trials riders- arguably the cyclists who need the most powerful brakes in cycling, have used hydraulic, canti mounted rim brakes for..... well never mind. They obviously don't count!)

Of course, I jest, but you get the picture. There are reasons that both kinds of brakes suck, don't work, and maybe wouldn't be the best. In the instance of the "all-arounder" bike, I submit that cantilever brakes, or caliper brakes that are actuated by hydraulic levers may, in fact, be the cats pajamas. Let the wheel do the job of two components, but get rid of the Bowden cable actuated calipers. I have had it suggested that having disc wheels allows the use of different wheel sizes in the same bike, but the average cyclist? Are they going to do this? I don't think so. One wheel set, durable, versatile, and that's all they'll be wanting, thank you very much. I'll grant you that when a spoke does break, the rim brake is not as desirable, but again- disc brakes are not without faults.

Okay, food for thought, for sure. That's it for this series for now. Thanks for reading.

"It" May Never Happen: Part 3- Brakes

Now on to the promised post about brakes- disc or cantilevers. There is a bit about what I think to be found in the first post- here. Check that out to see where I am coming from.

Secondly, I must post the TK inspired disclaimer, one more time:


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

First of all, I know there are a lot of bicycle mechanics, bicycle enthusiasts, and especially you bike geeks, that come here and read what I am writing about. The following screed about brakes is not about you guys and gals. This is about why I think it makes sense for the average Joe and Jill to have a certain kind of brake. The bike I am talking about, (seen in the second part of this series here), is the "all-arounder" that I think makes sense for the meat and potatoes of the cycling populace. Yes- I would likely "like" it as well, but that's beside the point!

Secondly, I am neither for, nor against disc brakes on road bikes. I can see why there are reasons someone may want disc brakes on a road bike, but I also see reasons why they are not such a great idea as well. I find it amusing that some folks just blindly accept that disc brakes "solve all the problems" and that cantilever brakes are "retro-grouch components" worthy of the dust bin. The truth, in my opinion, is somewhere in the middle of those two thoughts.

Let me start out with a scenario: Let's say disc brakes were the only choice you have ever had in brakes for cycling. Okay? So, along comes some whiz-bang engineer who declares that a wheel's rim can do double duty!

It can be a rotor and a rim, all at the same time! We simply move the caliper outwards, which should give us great power and modulation, if the "calipers" are correctly designed and set up. This will allow us to ditch the weight of that stainless steel rotor, make the mounting points less heavy, and less of a strain on the frame and wheels. The hub flanges can now be centered and wheels should theoretically be stronger. Overall, we think the system will actually save several grams over current disc brake technology.

What if that was the way things went? Sure- we know the pitfalls of caliper and cantilever brakes: Hard to set up, don't work sometimes in inclement weather, and are less powerful. Right? Isn't that the "party line" on cantilever brakes these days?

• Hard To Set Up: And disc brakes are not? Especially mechanical disc brakes, which any mechanic will tell you, need to be meticulously set up with proper housings to get maximum braking potential. Of course, no one ever had a disc rotor rubbing, a bent rotor, or a rotor that made noises. Yeah- disc brakes are definitely better than cantilevers in this way. No question, right? Let's not even give credence to the existence of disc brake facing tools, bleeder kits, or shims, because disc brakes rule, and they are just better than cantilever brakes. Duh!
• Cantilever Brakes Don't Work As Well In Bad Weather: Hmm...yeah, probably not. Because, no one ever had disc brake pads wear out in a single ride in bad weather. (Those racers at Moab that one year- that was all a set up by retrogrouch cantilever lovers. Lies!) No one ever had disc brakes make horrible turkey gobbling noises whenever they get wet. (Anyone who says they have is lying, of course.) And everyone knows that the minute it gets ugly out, everyone runs out and finds their cantilever brakes suck, and won't stop them at all, and swear off cycling forever. They should ride disc brakes. Dummies! No one ever lived that rode cantilever brakes in inclement weather, everyone knows this. 
• Cantilevers Are Less Powerful: Yep, another no-brainer. Hydraulic disc brakes rule! (Never mind that trials riders- arguably the cyclists who need the most powerful brakes in cycling, have used hydraulic, canti mounted rim brakes for..... well never mind. They obviously don't count!)

Of course, I jest, but you get the picture. There are reasons that both kinds of brakes suck, don't work, and maybe wouldn't be the best. In the instance of the "all-arounder" bike, I submit that cantilever brakes, or caliper brakes that are actuated by hydraulic levers may, in fact, be the cats pajamas. Let the wheel do the job of two components, but get rid of the Bowden cable actuated calipers. I have had it suggested that having disc wheels allows the use of different wheel sizes in the same bike, but the average cyclist? Are they going to do this? I don't think so. One wheel set, durable, versatile, and that's all they'll be wanting, thank you very much. I'll grant you that when a spoke does break, the rim brake is not as desirable, but again- disc brakes are not without faults.

Okay, food for thought, for sure. That's it for this series for now. Thanks for reading.

It May Never Happen: Part 2

A while back I posted this missive which was about a specific bike to gravel grinding and how I felt the "bike industry" was not ever going to make this bike for various reasons. Just yesterday an e-mail exchange with someone related to the bike industry sparked what you are about to read today. (Assuming that you continue to read, that is!) So- I must post the usual "TK" inspired disclaimer: 

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

Yeah....uh-huh....close!

 First of all, the intentions of most of my ramblings have been about riding bicycles on gravel roads, but during the e-mail exchange mentioned above, it was suggested that just such a bike as I am envisioning is what most cyclists who ride on "any road" should be riding. So, calling this bike a "gravel grinder" might be a misnomer. It may not be the right name at all.

It reminds me of the "Rough Riders" , whose motto, "Any Bike, Anywhere" doesn't let the type of bike you have define the type of terrain you want to ride on. Which is pretty cool,but this "zen terrain cycling" mind set is not where the vast majority of cyclists are at with regards to "what to do" about picking out hardware suitable for "most riding needs".  And when it comes to those "needs", I believe the bike industry is mostly oblivious. Yes- they just don't get it. As a bike shop mechanic, I see it every day.

I saw a thread on an on-line forum that I believe is a doorway, -a portal, if you will- to where most riders are coming from when it comes down to "all arounder" bikes. I have decided to lift this list directly from the thread I saw it on:

A.) Strength / Durability - I am a Clydesdale and uses for the bike would include primarily commuting on some pothole infested roads, weekend solo road rides, and possibly some light touring. I am not interested in carbon, aluminum is just fine by me. Wheels would need to be relatively bombproof.
B.) Flexibility - The ability to easily convert the bike for a variety of uses (road rides, commutes, etc.) This would include the need for rack/fender mounts and proper clearance to run anything from 25mm slicks to 32+mm with tread.
C.) Comfort - I am not a racer. I'm not even a strong rider. I just like to ride. I don't particularly care if the bike is aero... or terribly light weight (I'm neither of those things, so why should my bike be). I do want something I can get on and ride long distances. I want to have to stop riding because I'm too tired... not because I'm too sore.
D.) Groupset - I've been spoiled by the performance of 105. I am also intrigued by the possibilities of Apex. Any higher up the food chain I know is going to conflict with my next point...
E.) Price - I am a cheap bastard. I would likely have to be out the door for under $1500.

Interesting, isn't it? I am going to comment- point by point- on this list.

Trek CrossRip: Close but...meh!

•  Point A: Frame material choice can accommodate whether it is steel or aluminum, so I will table that for now- What is interesting is the comments about durability for what I would call "average sized people". Rear wheels- in particular- seem to be woefully inadequate. 
• Point B: While I like the direction this person is going, I would say that the opinion expressed here is conservative. Listen- folks will do more on a bike that can do more. Give them clearances for up to 42mm tires and 38mm with fenders. More clearance will not hurt sales. 
• Point C: Bike industry folks- (if you are paying attention here)- if you do not get anything else from this, take down notes from "Point C" and listen up: Folks are not interested in being someone like the Pro cycling team you sponsor. Heck- they can't even relate to that. They just want an efficient, very versatile, multi-road surface bicycle. This means taller head tubes, slacker angles, and better designs on frames and forks that are not so damn stiff. 
• Point D: 11 speeds? Electronic shifting? Hello? Most folks do not have any interest in this sort of "halo" componentry. Decent, long lasting, good looking, and value oriented parts are what folks want and need. 9 speeds are plenty, really.
• Point E: Yeah...the clincher. Bicycles are getting more and more expensive while the vast majority of cyclists are scratching out a living where expenses are increasing to the point that recreational activities are suffering. Here's an idea: Make the same, great looking 9 speed groupset for the next ten years. Do not change it. Make it affordable, durable, and polished. Want to see more folks on bicycles? Keep the price of entry reasonable, but packed with value, versatility, and durability. 

Okay- but what do you call this bike? Good question. I think the way the thread starter on the referenced post talked about it would be really a good place to start: The "All Arounder" bike. A bicycle that can go from pristine pavement to smooth single track and everything in between. It can haul stuff on a rack, but it isn't a touring bike. It can do gravel and some dirt, but it isn't a cyclocross bike. It can be ridden fast, but it isn't a racing bike.

I wrote about this five years ago and called it "Adventuring". I was thinking a bit fatter tires back then, but the post is still relevant today just as much as it was back then. Call it an "any road bike", or as some do- an "all road bike". Whatever- but in my opinion, the bike industry is really missing it here, and folks are left to scratch their heads in bewilderment at what most companies focus on.

Tomorrow: Brakes Revisited.