A Peek At The Future?

Posted by Mike Curiak, the Lenz Behemoth with Plus sized wheels.

Probably six or seven years ago or so, I was contacted by Mike Curiak to meet him just off site in the parking lot at Interbike's Outdoor Demo. He wanted to have me check out "the future" of long travel, 29 inch mountain bikes. Now mind you, at that time there were no long travel 29'ers and nearly everyone said it couldn't be done.

You couldn't get the geometry right, there were no forks, there was no tire suitable, and on and on, yet here was Mike, showing me a six inch travel, full suspension mountain bike with beefy tires, slack geometry, and a "real fork". The bike rode and handled better than any 29"er available at the time, and the prototype WTB tires were flat out monsters. The bike was waaaay beyond my capabilities then and now. Oh.......and it was the future. Easily five or six years ahead of its time, and in terms of mountain bike technology, that may as well be an eternity. The Lenz "Lunchbox", as it ended up becoming, was a ground breaker. 

Tires were so secret, I couldn't take a close up! From I-Bike '08

Now Mike has posted this beast, a Behemoth, with plus sized rubber. looks like 29+ to me, but whatever- this is the future of dual suspension mountain biking. In many ways, it is simply an evolution of that bike I rode back in '08. That bike laid the foundation for what seemed to be impossible, but Mike and Devin Lenz keep pushing the envelope, and quietly, together, they are showing up bigger companies at their own game.

All that aside, the Lenz shown here has short chain stays for tires this big at a claimed 434mm/17.08" and with the 1X set up, the plus sized rubber has room to spare. I've no doubt the bike is dialed and would make mincemeat of any trail anywhere near where I live. In fact, you'd have to take lines that weren't lines here to make this bike worth owning in the Mid-West. That isn't the point though. The point is that folks that don't think it would work, well........they are wrong. It would work, of that I have no doubt. That ride in '08 convinced me that Mike and Devin were dead on to the way big wheels can work in a full suspension setting.

I think B+ will become this. I am pretty sure 29+ will find an application here as well. The Boost axle spacing will become standard fare, and as far as "fat bike" dual suspension, ala the Bucksaw- I think those will be super rare. Those 4" tires and the wheels they go on are just too heavy. Not that the plus-sized/mid-fat FS stuff will be a whole lot lighter, but it will be lighter.

I'll tell ya what, this kind of bike looks like a ton of fun to me. If I were to able to take any bike I could get my hands on to Texas where I go occasionally, I would want that Behemoth pictured above. The Franklin Mountain State Park would suit it perfectly, and I would be having a ton of fun with that sort of rig. Maybe someday I'll make that dream come true.........

A Peek At The Future?

Posted by Mike Curiak, the Lenz Behemoth with Plus sized wheels.

Probably six or seven years ago or so, I was contacted by Mike Curiak to meet him just off site in the parking lot at Interbike's Outdoor Demo. He wanted to have me check out "the future" of long travel, 29 inch mountain bikes. Now mind you, at that time there were no long travel 29'ers and nearly everyone said it couldn't be done.

You couldn't get the geometry right, there were no forks, there was no tire suitable, and on and on, yet here was Mike, showing me a six inch travel, full suspension mountain bike with beefy tires, slack geometry, and a "real fork". The bike rode and handled better than any 29"er available at the time, and the prototype WTB tires were flat out monsters. The bike was waaaay beyond my capabilities then and now. Oh.......and it was the future. Easily five or six years ahead of its time, and in terms of mountain bike technology, that may as well be an eternity. The Lenz "Lunchbox", as it ended up becoming, was a ground breaker. 

Tires were so secret, I couldn't take a close up! From I-Bike '08

Now Mike has posted this beast, a Behemoth, with plus sized rubber. looks like 29+ to me, but whatever- this is the future of dual suspension mountain biking. In many ways, it is simply an evolution of that bike I rode back in '08. That bike laid the foundation for what seemed to be impossible, but Mike and Devin Lenz keep pushing the envelope, and quietly, together, they are showing up bigger companies at their own game.

All that aside, the Lenz shown here has short chain stays for tires this big at a claimed 434mm/17.08" and with the 1X set up, the plus sized rubber has room to spare. I've no doubt the bike is dialed and would make mincemeat of any trail anywhere near where I live. In fact, you'd have to take lines that weren't lines here to make this bike worth owning in the Mid-West. That isn't the point though. The point is that folks that don't think it would work, well........they are wrong. It would work, of that I have no doubt. That ride in '08 convinced me that Mike and Devin were dead on to the way big wheels can work in a full suspension setting.

I think B+ will become this. I am pretty sure 29+ will find an application here as well. The Boost axle spacing will become standard fare, and as far as "fat bike" dual suspension, ala the Bucksaw- I think those will be super rare. Those 4" tires and the wheels they go on are just too heavy. Not that the plus-sized/mid-fat FS stuff will be a whole lot lighter, but it will be lighter.

I'll tell ya what, this kind of bike looks like a ton of fun to me. If I were to able to take any bike I could get my hands on to Texas where I go occasionally, I would want that Behemoth pictured above. The Franklin Mountain State Park would suit it perfectly, and I would be having a ton of fun with that sort of rig. Maybe someday I'll make that dream come true.........

So, Are 26 Inch Wheels Going The Way Of 27 x 1 1/4"?

Are all old 26" mtbs destined to become townies?

Years ago, Niner Bikes Chris Sugai made what seemed like an outlandish statement in a video he appeared in from Interbike. He claimed that in a certain number of years, (five, I think), that the 26" wheel for mountain bikes would be dead. People thought he'd lost his marbles. However; although it may have taken a while longer than he thought, it appears that he may be right. (By the way, there is also a good rant from Chris on 27.5"ers out there as well.)

Anyway, I always figured that 26" wheels would be the domain of down hill oriented riding. That all changed when the "enduro" thing came around and every five inch to six inch travel platform that was formerly 26" wheels suddenly became "new" with the 27.5" wheel and the "enduro tag". It was "new" and you had to get one of these. What got missed in all of this was that the 26" wheeled bikes were almost identical to the 27.5" bikes besides the wheels, which were marginally different in performance. Marketing? Forced obsolescence? Whatever it was, it pushed 26 inch wheels off the radar and onto the back burner of mountain biker's consciousness.

I predicted a few years ago that when companies quit introducing new products like wheels and forks in 26" versions, that the 26" platform was going to die. Well, it is happening now. Forks are being introduced and there is no mention of a 26" version. Wheels are being produced with no mention of a 26" option. Only tire companies are quietly keeping pace with new 26" options to match their newest 27.5" and 29" rubber options. It won't be long before even this begins to stop happening for 26" wheels. Even down hill bikes are beginning to be more and more the realm of the 27.5" wheel. I would never have had thought that.

I wonder if in five more years or so that the tire rack at the local bike shop will have lots of tire choices and a couple hooks off to the side with the 27 X 1 1/4" tires, old 26 X 1 3/8ths tires, and the "old" mountain bike standard of 26" tires. It sure seems that things are headed in that direction now.

So, Are 26 Inch Wheels Going The Way Of 27 x 1 1/4"?

Are all old 26" mtbs destined to become townies?

Years ago, Niner Bikes Chris Sugai made what seemed like an outlandish statement in a video he appeared in from Interbike. He claimed that in a certain number of years, (five, I think), that the 26" wheel for mountain bikes would be dead. People thought he'd lost his marbles. However; although it may have taken a while longer than he thought, it appears that he may be right. (By the way, there is also a good rant from Chris on 27.5"ers out there as well.)

Anyway, I always figured that 26" wheels would be the domain of down hill oriented riding. That all changed when the "enduro" thing came around and every five inch to six inch travel platform that was formerly 26" wheels suddenly became "new" with the 27.5" wheel and the "enduro tag". It was "new" and you had to get one of these. What got missed in all of this was that the 26" wheeled bikes were almost identical to the 27.5" bikes besides the wheels, which were marginally different in performance. Marketing? Forced obsolescence? Whatever it was, it pushed 26 inch wheels off the radar and onto the back burner of mountain biker's consciousness.

I predicted a few years ago that when companies quit introducing new products like wheels and forks in 26" versions, that the 26" platform was going to die. Well, it is happening now. Forks are being introduced and there is no mention of a 26" version. Wheels are being produced with no mention of a 26" option. Only tire companies are quietly keeping pace with new 26" options to match their newest 27.5" and 29" rubber options. It won't be long before even this begins to stop happening for 26" wheels. Even down hill bikes are beginning to be more and more the realm of the 27.5" wheel. I would never have had thought that.

I wonder if in five more years or so that the tire rack at the local bike shop will have lots of tire choices and a couple hooks off to the side with the 27 X 1 1/4" tires, old 26 X 1 3/8ths tires, and the "old" mountain bike standard of 26" tires. It sure seems that things are headed in that direction now.

A Decade Of Nonsense: Moving Forward

WooHoo...... Okay, now on with the freak show!

Today, May 11th, is the anniversary date of this blog starting up. I've done a small series of blog entries back in February and March detailing the past ten years. Now that the story has been told of the past, it is time to look forward to the future here.

Besides Trans Iowa, the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational, an odd Geezer Ride or two, and RidingGravel.com, I have no other outside obligations besides my work at the shop. No more testing and writing reviews for two other sites, and no extra responsibilities of editing a bunch of other folks reports, posting them, and taking care of a slew of others images. This has already manifested itself in plenty of free time I didn't used to have. In fact, I'm still adjusting to that fact now.

Hmmm........I suppose that all seems like a lot to ride herd on to may of you out there, but of all of these things I do, I do not see myself forsaking this blog anytime soon. That may be good or bad, depending upon your viewpoint. I only know that I like writing on a daily basis and apparently several folks like reading it. Maybe blogging will continue to decline in popularity, (that due mostly to Facebook, I think), or whatever comes next will make blogging the equivalent of doing needlepoint or crochet. Whatever..... I am still carrying on. Just like the tag line for the blog here says.....

"A bicycle and guitar oriented elixir that some find intoxicating. Others...well, let's just say they are sick of it!"

The future will undoubtedly be a surprise and will take twists and turns along the way coupled with a big dose of the "same ol' same ol'". Other than that, I can't really say what will happen for sure. It'll probably be what I said in my very first post.....

"Welcome to the Freakshow that is Guitar Ted Productions! It is here that I will be at liberty to espouse my verbiage in an unbridled, yet entertaining fashion."

So then.......on with the Freakshow!

A Decade Of Nonsense: Moving Forward

WooHoo...... Okay, now on with the freak show!

Today, May 11th, is the anniversary date of this blog starting up. I've done a small series of blog entries back in February and March detailing the past ten years. Now that the story has been told of the past, it is time to look forward to the future here.

Besides Trans Iowa, the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational, an odd Geezer Ride or two, and RidingGravel.com, I have no other outside obligations besides my work at the shop. No more testing and writing reviews for two other sites, and no extra responsibilities of editing a bunch of other folks reports, posting them, and taking care of a slew of others images. This has already manifested itself in plenty of free time I didn't used to have. In fact, I'm still adjusting to that fact now.

Hmmm........I suppose that all seems like a lot to ride herd on to may of you out there, but of all of these things I do, I do not see myself forsaking this blog anytime soon. That may be good or bad, depending upon your viewpoint. I only know that I like writing on a daily basis and apparently several folks like reading it. Maybe blogging will continue to decline in popularity, (that due mostly to Facebook, I think), or whatever comes next will make blogging the equivalent of doing needlepoint or crochet. Whatever..... I am still carrying on. Just like the tag line for the blog here says.....

"A bicycle and guitar oriented elixir that some find intoxicating. Others...well, let's just say they are sick of it!"

The future will undoubtedly be a surprise and will take twists and turns along the way coupled with a big dose of the "same ol' same ol'". Other than that, I can't really say what will happen for sure. It'll probably be what I said in my very first post.....

"Welcome to the Freakshow that is Guitar Ted Productions! It is here that I will be at liberty to espouse my verbiage in an unbridled, yet entertaining fashion."

So then.......on with the Freakshow!

Dirty Kanza 200 Chronicles V2: RBRH

The Orange Crush in DK200 mode

Well, it was supposed to be a 3GR ride, so I went down to the usual start place and waited to see if anyone would show up. They didn't, so at 8:30am I took off under gray skies and into a steady Northeast win of about 12mph with an occasional gust. I had the good ol' Black Mountain cycles rig set up in Dity Kanza 200 mode.

It's going to come down to either this rig or my Raleigh Tamland for the event. I have a wider range 11 speed cassette coming for the Tamland and if it works, I'll continue to give it a chance, but as it stands right now I just do not have the confidence in myself and those high gears that the 11 speed Ultegra has. So, we'll see how it stacks up later this week. But anyway.....

I headed off North and just kept going toward Denver, chugging along against the wind and the mostly uphill course. Then where I was supposed to turn Left onto the Westward leg of the 3GR course, I hung a right instead. I didn't really have a plan, at least not a specific one, but I wanted more miles. I thought about doing a century, but after only having done 40-ish milers since I've gotten well, I decided a metric century would be cool. So, I needed to go beyond the 3GR course, and why not turn right instead of left!

One thing about Bremer County- it's flat!

This took me into the heart of Bremer County and flat land. Really flat land! I went quite a few miles again before I hit anything I could coast down. In fact, only stream crossings broke up the flat land feel. Then I decided to swing into a little town called Readlyn for a bite to eat. My thought being that I wanted to gauge my on bike nutrition compatibility with convenience store grub. This was turning into an experimental ride for Dirty Kanza. I had gels and Gu Chomps along for the ride, but at the Readlyn convenience store, I bought an energy drink for later on, in case I got fatigued, and a salty bag of chips, which I also saved for later. The only thing I did consume there was a breakfast sandwich, which shut down the hunger pangs really well. Once refueled, I was off Northward again.

Headed North crossing Highway 3. It was still gloomy and chilly out. 

Dandelions lined the roads for many miles.

I had now decided to do a ride past Rob's house. I heard someone say a while back that they were going to do a long ride and "ride by Rob's house", ("RBRH" is the title for today), so I figured I was in that neck of the woods, so why not. Rob used to help me eons ago with some Twenty Nine Inches stuff, so I was familiar with where he lived, having been there a few times in the past. I knew it would tack on a significant amount of miles, but I had no clear idea how many. The only thing I did know was that I would turn left immediately after passing Rob's house, so it would mark the furthest point from home.

The skies started to lift somewhat and the Sun was finally raising the temperatures so that I was planning to ditch my wind breaker after my Westward stretch. I had about six miles to go past Rob's house before I would be able to do that, at least by my plan. In fact, I was sticking to a plan of refueling and drinking all along the ride. That isn't my usual way. Typically, I don't eat anything at all, I just drink fluids. I could tell that the nutritional intake was making a difference though. I didn't feel tired, and actually, I felt rather good.

Barns For Jason

 I had to stop a couple of times to consult the maps, but I managed to get back to the 3GR route at the point where it usually comes the furthest North. I rode down to the next corner, where the 3GR turns South on Hilton, and ate my chips and started in on the energy drink. I was feeling really good. I decided to not turn left and do the rest of the 3GR as we've been doing it, but went Right and picked up the 3GR's original course going backward, following it all the way back into Cedar Falls, for "bonus miles", and it was a good change of pace. By now the Sun had actually broken through for a bit.

The last rest stop looking down Hilton Avenue. 

A bit of "hero gravel" just North of Cedar Falls.

I ended up getting into Cedar Falls and then traversing the city along Grand Boulevard to Waterloo. I was going to do the short, steep climb out of the bike path to go on to Rainbow Drive when as I came down to the street, I was just pushing too hard and I went down. No big deal, I just biffed it, but I was reminded that I was fatigued and that I needed to watch my step. I ended up getting home after being gone for almost six hours and having ridden 68 miles. Not very fast, but a great ride and I felt really good afterward. Not wiped out or totally dead. I credit that to doing nutrition on the bike and being in better health.

So far so good on getting some longer miles in the books.

Dirty Kanza 200 Chronicles V2: RBRH

The Orange Crush in DK200 mode

Well, it was supposed to be a 3GR ride, so I went down to the usual start place and waited to see if anyone would show up. They didn't, so at 8:30am I took off under gray skies and into a steady Northeast win of about 12mph with an occasional gust. I had the good ol' Black Mountain cycles rig set up in Dity Kanza 200 mode.

It's going to come down to either this rig or my Raleigh Tamland for the event. I have a wider range 11 speed cassette coming for the Tamland and if it works, I'll continue to give it a chance, but as it stands right now I just do not have the confidence in myself and those high gears that the 11 speed Ultegra has. So, we'll see how it stacks up later this week. But anyway.....

I headed off North and just kept going toward Denver, chugging along against the wind and the mostly uphill course. Then where I was supposed to turn Left onto the Westward leg of the 3GR course, I hung a right instead. I didn't really have a plan, at least not a specific one, but I wanted more miles. I thought about doing a century, but after only having done 40-ish milers since I've gotten well, I decided a metric century would be cool. So, I needed to go beyond the 3GR course, and why not turn right instead of left!

One thing about Bremer County- it's flat!

This took me into the heart of Bremer County and flat land. Really flat land! I went quite a few miles again before I hit anything I could coast down. In fact, only stream crossings broke up the flat land feel. Then I decided to swing into a little town called Readlyn for a bite to eat. My thought being that I wanted to gauge my on bike nutrition compatibility with convenience store grub. This was turning into an experimental ride for Dirty Kanza. I had gels and Gu Chomps along for the ride, but at the Readlyn convenience store, I bought an energy drink for later on, in case I got fatigued, and a salty bag of chips, which I also saved for later. The only thing I did consume there was a breakfast sandwich, which shut down the hunger pangs really well. Once refueled, I was off Northward again.

Headed North crossing Highway 3. It was still gloomy and chilly out. 

Dandelions lined the roads for many miles.

I had now decided to do a ride past Rob's house. I heard someone say a while back that they were going to do a long ride and "ride by Rob's house", ("RBRH" is the title for today), so I figured I was in that neck of the woods, so why not. Rob used to help me eons ago with some Twenty Nine Inches stuff, so I was familiar with where he lived, having been there a few times in the past. I knew it would tack on a significant amount of miles, but I had no clear idea how many. The only thing I did know was that I would turn left immediately after passing Rob's house, so it would mark the furthest point from home.

The skies started to lift somewhat and the Sun was finally raising the temperatures so that I was planning to ditch my wind breaker after my Westward stretch. I had about six miles to go past Rob's house before I would be able to do that, at least by my plan. In fact, I was sticking to a plan of refueling and drinking all along the ride. That isn't my usual way. Typically, I don't eat anything at all, I just drink fluids. I could tell that the nutritional intake was making a difference though. I didn't feel tired, and actually, I felt rather good.

Barns For Jason

 I had to stop a couple of times to consult the maps, but I managed to get back to the 3GR route at the point where it usually comes the furthest North. I rode down to the next corner, where the 3GR turns South on Hilton, and ate my chips and started in on the energy drink. I was feeling really good. I decided to not turn left and do the rest of the 3GR as we've been doing it, but went Right and picked up the 3GR's original course going backward, following it all the way back into Cedar Falls, for "bonus miles", and it was a good change of pace. By now the Sun had actually broken through for a bit.

The last rest stop looking down Hilton Avenue. 

A bit of "hero gravel" just North of Cedar Falls.

I ended up getting into Cedar Falls and then traversing the city along Grand Boulevard to Waterloo. I was going to do the short, steep climb out of the bike path to go on to Rainbow Drive when as I came down to the street, I was just pushing too hard and I went down. No big deal, I just biffed it, but I was reminded that I was fatigued and that I needed to watch my step. I ended up getting home after being gone for almost six hours and having ridden 68 miles. Not very fast, but a great ride and I felt really good afterward. Not wiped out or totally dead. I credit that to doing nutrition on the bike and being in better health.

So far so good on getting some longer miles in the books.

Dusty Bikes

Part of the gravel road experience is the dust. It is pervasive here in Iowa, at any rate, and you had better learn to embrace that fact if you are to be out on the crushed rock roads most any time of the year. Even in winter the roads can be dusty, but obviously, Summer is the worst/best time for dust during the year.

Maybe it is my mountain biker bent, or perhaps it is my boyish love of mud, water puddles, and dirt, but a dusty bike is a badge of honor for me. The dustier the better. The way the dust gathers on frame tubing can be a fascinating array of patterns, shadings, and influences the coloration of whatever bike you've ridden to a great degree. It's almost like Dario Pegoretti painted your bike with a gravel dust filled air brush. Well.......that's how I see things. 

Dust varies from time to time and year to year. A few years back we had a really dusty year. I remember going to the Moonshine Metric event late that Summer and a car went by us. The dust went up from the car and hung in the windless evening air so that we couldn't see anything for several minutes. A dusty fog, as it were, that made riding dangerous as all get out, but was kind of fun in a twisted sort of way.

Then there are the after effects of dust, which are obvious in a few ways, such as the cleaning up, the drive train wear, and the unreachable places on your bike where that dust lives forever. That and the unseen dust effects, like spitting up limestone tasting nuggets from your lungs for a few days afterward. I know.....it's gross but true. 

I still like dusty roads though. See ya on one someday maybe...........

Dusty Bikes

Part of the gravel road experience is the dust. It is pervasive here in Iowa, at any rate, and you had better learn to embrace that fact if you are to be out on the crushed rock roads most any time of the year. Even in winter the roads can be dusty, but obviously, Summer is the worst/best time for dust during the year.

Maybe it is my mountain biker bent, or perhaps it is my boyish love of mud, water puddles, and dirt, but a dusty bike is a badge of honor for me. The dustier the better. The way the dust gathers on frame tubing can be a fascinating array of patterns, shadings, and influences the coloration of whatever bike you've ridden to a great degree. It's almost like Dario Pegoretti painted your bike with a gravel dust filled air brush. Well.......that's how I see things. 

Dust varies from time to time and year to year. A few years back we had a really dusty year. I remember going to the Moonshine Metric event late that Summer and a car went by us. The dust went up from the car and hung in the windless evening air so that we couldn't see anything for several minutes. A dusty fog, as it were, that made riding dangerous as all get out, but was kind of fun in a twisted sort of way.

Then there are the after effects of dust, which are obvious in a few ways, such as the cleaning up, the drive train wear, and the unreachable places on your bike where that dust lives forever. That and the unseen dust effects, like spitting up limestone tasting nuggets from your lungs for a few days afterward. I know.....it's gross but true. 

I still like dusty roads though. See ya on one someday maybe...........

Friday News And Views

Riding Gravel Radio Ranch: Episode Eight of the Riding Gravel Radio Ranch features Greg Gleason, the "winner" of T.I.v11 by virtue of his accomplishment of getting by Checkpoint #1- the only rider of 93 total to get through. Greg got 123 miles up the road before pulling the plug. We were

MG (L) and Greg tipping one back at the end of T.I.v11

able to talk to him on the podcast about that ride, what it took for him to keep going, and more in an over 90 minute episode that you can check out right HERE.  As long as we're talking about Greg, I wanted to touch on something that maybe some of you were thinking about when you heard Greg "won" the event. As many of you know, Greg won T.I.v10 last year. In terms of Trans Iowa history, that seems to set his accomplishments apart from the others that have been declared winners of past Trans Iowas. Ira Ryan, previously the only other rider to have outright won two Trans Iowa events, would now seem to have been surpassed by Greg's "two-fer". However; the practice that some like to employ which is to compare Trans Iowas directly is at fault here. As I've said time and time again- "You cannot compare Trans Iowas." Well, you can, but you really shouldn't. It just doesn't work very well when you look at it. For instance......

Ira's Trans Iowas were vastly different than Greg's and both were "full runs", not truncated by missing time cut-offs or by virtue of bad roads. If anyone hasn't figured it out yet, if no one makes the cut-offs, the event is over with no finishers. In the case of a Trans Iowa v4 or v6, where the organizers pulled riders off the course, or set up a finish line shorter than the planned distance, and the riders were holding a pace to get them to the checkpoint/finish on time, the event is seen differently. In the case of v6, John Gorilla and Joe Meiser were together in the lead when the event was called and we set up the finish in North English, Iowa. We couldn't declare an outright winner in that event because we weren't there when we told them it was over. We were there for everyone elses finishes that year. It's quite possible that both Gorilla or Meiser could have had two out right T.I. wins, albeit Johns would have been both shortened versions had he been declared the winner of v6.

Now as far as Greg, or for that matter, Lindsay Gauld's (Trans Iowa v2) performances go, we have said they are "winners" in that these men made it the furthest of anyone else under extraordinary circumstances, but in both instances, they missed time cut-offs and no one finished either event.

Just a few technicalities to clear up there........

My 2003 Karate Monkey in 2005

Dead In The Water:

Hey, anyone out there remember my 2003 Karate Monkey? Yeah, well it still has a stuck cartridge bottom bracket in it and months, literally months, of soaking it in penetrating oils and solvents didn't help a bit. So, I am going to have a little advice giving contest to see if anyone reading here can come up with a solution to my problem. Now here are the details....

The bottom bracket is a Shimano UN-51 square taper unit that was installed originally in the bike when I built it. (A 118mm spindle, for you detail freaks out there.) Anyway, this bike went through parts of four Winters and maybe more, which have frozen the bottom bracket so I cannot remove it, and it needs to be removed if I want to ever use this bike again. (And I do!)

I've used a typical Shimano bottom bracket tool held on with a bolt and used a large, 12" adjustable jaw wrench with a big ol' hammer to bang on the handle with several times to no avail. I then get tired, park the whole enchilada off to the side, and get on with other projects. That was when I was doing a metric ton of Twenty Nine Inches work, but that gig is over, and I have more free time to get to the shop now and this project is moving to the front burner.

If someone out there gets me the "magic" technique and it works, I will arrange for something cool to reward you with. (Don't get your hopes up for anything too valuable!) But I will show my appreciation for any good ideas I get here that work.

3GR: Last week I started the 3GR back up again, and there will be another one this Saturday at 8:30am at Gates Pool parking lot in Waterloo, Iowa. We will ride North to just East of Denver, a bit further North, then Westward to just North of the BSA Camp, then South past the Camp, then East and Southward till we get back to Waterloo again. Same route we've done a bunch of times before.

Anyone is welcomed, but make sure you have tools to fix a flat and can ride 40-ish miles at a moderate pace. We did the route last week in a little over 2.5 hours. I may tack on more afterward to get something going for the Dirty Kanza 200 training, but that depends on my family at home. I'm in for the 3GR at any rate.

And that's a wrap on this week. Have a great weekend and keep the rubber side dirty!

Friday News And Views

Riding Gravel Radio Ranch: Episode Eight of the Riding Gravel Radio Ranch features Greg Gleason, the "winner" of T.I.v11 by virtue of his accomplishment of getting by Checkpoint #1- the only rider of 93 total to get through. Greg got 123 miles up the road before pulling the plug. We were

MG (L) and Greg tipping one back at the end of T.I.v11

able to talk to him on the podcast about that ride, what it took for him to keep going, and more in an over 90 minute episode that you can check out right HERE.  As long as we're talking about Greg, I wanted to touch on something that maybe some of you were thinking about when you heard Greg "won" the event. As many of you know, Greg won T.I.v10 last year. In terms of Trans Iowa history, that seems to set his accomplishments apart from the others that have been declared winners of past Trans Iowas. Ira Ryan, previously the only other rider to have outright won two Trans Iowa events, would now seem to have been surpassed by Greg's "two-fer". However; the practice that some like to employ which is to compare Trans Iowas directly is at fault here. As I've said time and time again- "You cannot compare Trans Iowas." Well, you can, but you really shouldn't. It just doesn't work very well when you look at it. For instance......

Ira's Trans Iowas were vastly different than Greg's and both were "full runs", not truncated by missing time cut-offs or by virtue of bad roads. If anyone hasn't figured it out yet, if no one makes the cut-offs, the event is over with no finishers. In the case of a Trans Iowa v4 or v6, where the organizers pulled riders off the course, or set up a finish line shorter than the planned distance, and the riders were holding a pace to get them to the checkpoint/finish on time, the event is seen differently. In the case of v6, John Gorilla and Joe Meiser were together in the lead when the event was called and we set up the finish in North English, Iowa. We couldn't declare an outright winner in that event because we weren't there when we told them it was over. We were there for everyone elses finishes that year. It's quite possible that both Gorilla or Meiser could have had two out right T.I. wins, albeit Johns would have been both shortened versions had he been declared the winner of v6.

Now as far as Greg, or for that matter, Lindsay Gauld's (Trans Iowa v2) performances go, we have said they are "winners" in that these men made it the furthest of anyone else under extraordinary circumstances, but in both instances, they missed time cut-offs and no one finished either event.

Just a few technicalities to clear up there........

My 2003 Karate Monkey in 2005

Dead In The Water:

Hey, anyone out there remember my 2003 Karate Monkey? Yeah, well it still has a stuck cartridge bottom bracket in it and months, literally months, of soaking it in penetrating oils and solvents didn't help a bit. So, I am going to have a little advice giving contest to see if anyone reading here can come up with a solution to my problem. Now here are the details....

The bottom bracket is a Shimano UN-51 square taper unit that was installed originally in the bike when I built it. (A 118mm spindle, for you detail freaks out there.) Anyway, this bike went through parts of four Winters and maybe more, which have frozen the bottom bracket so I cannot remove it, and it needs to be removed if I want to ever use this bike again. (And I do!)

I've used a typical Shimano bottom bracket tool held on with a bolt and used a large, 12" adjustable jaw wrench with a big ol' hammer to bang on the handle with several times to no avail. I then get tired, park the whole enchilada off to the side, and get on with other projects. That was when I was doing a metric ton of Twenty Nine Inches work, but that gig is over, and I have more free time to get to the shop now and this project is moving to the front burner.

If someone out there gets me the "magic" technique and it works, I will arrange for something cool to reward you with. (Don't get your hopes up for anything too valuable!) But I will show my appreciation for any good ideas I get here that work.

3GR: Last week I started the 3GR back up again, and there will be another one this Saturday at 8:30am at Gates Pool parking lot in Waterloo, Iowa. We will ride North to just East of Denver, a bit further North, then Westward to just North of the BSA Camp, then South past the Camp, then East and Southward till we get back to Waterloo again. Same route we've done a bunch of times before.

Anyone is welcomed, but make sure you have tools to fix a flat and can ride 40-ish miles at a moderate pace. We did the route last week in a little over 2.5 hours. I may tack on more afterward to get something going for the Dirty Kanza 200 training, but that depends on my family at home. I'm in for the 3GR at any rate.

And that's a wrap on this week. Have a great weekend and keep the rubber side dirty!

Dirty Kanza 200 Chronicles V2: Time To Kick It Up A Notch

The road to the Dirty Kanza 200 is getting shorter.....

I mentioned earlier this week that I had gotten in a couple of good rides on the 3GR course since Trans Iowa v11. Those rides have shown me that since the Texas trip in March where I was so sick I was at basically zero for fitness, that I have rebounded quite nicely. At least I feel I am back to a base level for fitness that I expect for typical riding. To me, that is a minor miracle, considering Trans Iowa was stuck in the middle of all of that.

So far, so good, but that won't be "good enough" to get the job done in Kansas at the end of this month. It will take another level up to get me across that finish line in downtown Emporia. I don't take this lightly either. This will be another "minor miracle" in the making. I believe it can be done, and I have some support to help me in this matter. Speaking of that.....

Gone are the days of just showing up in Emporia and checking out for a days ride with no one else there to bail you out and being out there alone for hours on end. The DK 200 has grown into a monster and there are good things and not so good things about all of that. In my case, I am choosing to focus on the positives and how those positives will make this trip to the Flint Hills a successful one.

One thing is that I have more pre-ride information and support from friends than ever. Ari from the Slender Fungus Cycling Association has formed an alliance with me and we are already chatting back and forth concerning strategies and we are staying positive throughout. I have a ride with Tony set up to get me there and back, so I won't have to travel alone. I have a place to stay with my good friend MG, so I have his positive energy to draw from right before the event as well. The DK 200 folks have laid out where resupplies can be gotten, in terms of mileages, so I can be prepared to succeed.

Ari is riding his orange BMC. Maybe I should too.....

During the ride, Ari and I plan on sticking together, and perhaps we will add a few more to a group that will hopefully pull each other through to the end. This would be vastly different than any other DK 200 attempt I have ever done, since I have never had anyone that I could count on to ride with me at all. I've always ended up just being "on my own" out there at my previous DK attempts. (Keep in mind my last attempt was in 2010 when the event was far smaller as well.)

Added to the mix is the Dirty Dog Race Pack, which have offered to look out for me at the two checkpoints. That's very cool of them to do. So, all the extras have fallen into place for me, and much of this is all new stuff for me to rely on and look forward to. Logistically, I have everything I need in place to succeed.

Now it is up to me to get that "next level up" in fitness in a short amount of time. I feel that I need to get in at least one big, long ride to sort out a few things and get time in the saddle to help me get used to sitting on a bike for hours at a crack. I hope to get some rides in the heat to get acclimated, but that will all depend upon the weather. I know wind, and I am okay with that, but riding into some wind will be a welcome thing, as you generally have a long slog into the wind at the Dirty Kanza 200 at some point during the day.

All that and I am throwing another bike idea into the mix. More on that next time.......

Dirty Kanza 200 Chronicles V2: Time To Kick It Up A Notch

The road to the Dirty Kanza 200 is getting shorter.....

I mentioned earlier this week that I had gotten in a couple of good rides on the 3GR course since Trans Iowa v11. Those rides have shown me that since the Texas trip in March where I was so sick I was at basically zero for fitness, that I have rebounded quite nicely. At least I feel I am back to a base level for fitness that I expect for typical riding. To me, that is a minor miracle, considering Trans Iowa was stuck in the middle of all of that.

So far, so good, but that won't be "good enough" to get the job done in Kansas at the end of this month. It will take another level up to get me across that finish line in downtown Emporia. I don't take this lightly either. This will be another "minor miracle" in the making. I believe it can be done, and I have some support to help me in this matter. Speaking of that.....

Gone are the days of just showing up in Emporia and checking out for a days ride with no one else there to bail you out and being out there alone for hours on end. The DK 200 has grown into a monster and there are good things and not so good things about all of that. In my case, I am choosing to focus on the positives and how those positives will make this trip to the Flint Hills a successful one.

One thing is that I have more pre-ride information and support from friends than ever. Ari from the Slender Fungus Cycling Association has formed an alliance with me and we are already chatting back and forth concerning strategies and we are staying positive throughout. I have a ride with Tony set up to get me there and back, so I won't have to travel alone. I have a place to stay with my good friend MG, so I have his positive energy to draw from right before the event as well. The DK 200 folks have laid out where resupplies can be gotten, in terms of mileages, so I can be prepared to succeed.

Ari is riding his orange BMC. Maybe I should too.....

During the ride, Ari and I plan on sticking together, and perhaps we will add a few more to a group that will hopefully pull each other through to the end. This would be vastly different than any other DK 200 attempt I have ever done, since I have never had anyone that I could count on to ride with me at all. I've always ended up just being "on my own" out there at my previous DK attempts. (Keep in mind my last attempt was in 2010 when the event was far smaller as well.)

Added to the mix is the Dirty Dog Race Pack, which have offered to look out for me at the two checkpoints. That's very cool of them to do. So, all the extras have fallen into place for me, and much of this is all new stuff for me to rely on and look forward to. Logistically, I have everything I need in place to succeed.

Now it is up to me to get that "next level up" in fitness in a short amount of time. I feel that I need to get in at least one big, long ride to sort out a few things and get time in the saddle to help me get used to sitting on a bike for hours at a crack. I hope to get some rides in the heat to get acclimated, but that will all depend upon the weather. I know wind, and I am okay with that, but riding into some wind will be a welcome thing, as you generally have a long slog into the wind at the Dirty Kanza 200 at some point during the day.

All that and I am throwing another bike idea into the mix. More on that next time.......

Fat Fargo: Thoughts On B+ Wheels

A Gen II Fargo with fatter wheels

As stated yesterday, I wanted to lay down some thoughts on the B+, 27.5+, 650B+ or whatever these are going to be called.....wheels. Let's say "mid-fat" and leave it at that, shall we?

For those of you that are not familiar, and to give those folks interested in specifications their dosage, here are the pertinent features of the mid-fat platforms and also my specs on this wheel set.

• Mid-fat or "plus" sized wheels are really just larger than average tires with high volume on rims you already know and love. There are a few wider rims out now as well. 
• Mid-fat tires can be fitted to the 650B/27.5 or 29"er based platforms. Rim specs in terms of diameter are the same- 622ISO for 29+ and 584ISO for B+/27.5+. Typically, the wider rims are better, so anything with a 30mm wide width or wider works best. Some are 50mm wide, like Surly's Rabbit Hole and Sun Ringle's Mulefut.
• Tires are typically going to be either side of 3 inches wide with a lot of height/volume to the casings. 2.8" to 3.25" seems to be the working range so far. This is for both diameters out there that are being pushed- 27.5+/B+ and 29+.
• Wide rims and fatter, higher volume tires make for big overall diameters. For instance, a 50mm wide rim with a 3.25" "B+" tire is the same diameter, more or less, as a 29" X 2.25" tire. A 29+ tire at 3 inches wide on a 50mm wide rim is approximately the same overall diameter as a 4.8" wide fat bike tire on a 100mm wide rim- 31 inches or so. 

Now for my Fargo wheels, I used 35mm wide Velocity Blunt 35 rims and put some 2.8" WTB Trailblazer tires on them tubeless. This brings the diameter of these wheels to just slightly less than a 29 X 2.2" wheel. That means my bottom bracket is ever so slightly lower. Otherwise, there was plenty of room in the frame to fit this wheel in my Fargo. Now.....why would you do this? That's the big question, and what I wanted to seek out was an answer that satisfied my curiosity. This may not be your answer, but I feel it makes a lot of sense.

The whole "plus" size/mid-fat thing is an attempt to take advantage of fat bike volume, flotation, and grip in a package that isn't so cumbersome, heavy, and that doesn't require weird frames with wide bottom brackets which hurt some folk's knees and whatnot. Are they "fat bikes"? That's a question folks debate. I own both fat bikes and this B+/mid-fat bike. My Fat Fargo is not a fat bike. Nope. Not even close.

But, it isn't like any of my 29"ers either. I have a 29 X 2.4" tired rig that runs 45mm wide Velocity Duallys. While the footprint of those wheels are as big as my mid-fat/B+ tires, they don't have the volume of those B+ tires, and there's where your differences are and why it may make sense to run a mid-fat/B+ rig for you.

The Singular Buzzard with 29 X 2.4" tires on Velocity Duallys

That volume allows for lower pressures without fear of rim strikes. Lower pressures mean the tires conform to terrain features better, which equals more grip and control. The differences are minute, to be sure, but palpable, and in the right rig, a B+/mid-fat set up may make a lot of sense. I thought it worked great on a single speed, for instance, where grip and the lack of suspension might be your set up. I also wanted to try this as a set up for a bikepacking rig or bagged hauler/tourer/versatile mtb set up. That's where the "Fat Fargo" comes in.

My thoughts were that my original Fargo Gen I was the perfect candidate for these wheels, since it wasn't suspension corrected, and a little comfort would be welcomed there. However; the tire clearances in the chain stays were too tight to allow for mud clearances, and I felt the bottom bracket on that bike with the B+ wheels was too low. Bummer that, but I wasn't going to quit just there.

I had the Gen II Fargo, so why not slap those meats into that frame and see what's up. Well, the clearances were really good, and the bottom bracket, while slightly lower for sure, isn't too low, for me. Maybe for you it would be, but so far, I've been just fine with things this way. Of course, the Gen II has a Rock Shox Reba on it and that combo is pluuuuuusssssh. The fork has 80mm of travel, but with the tires, it almost feels like my 140mm of travel on my Buzzard.

I wish this would've worked better.

I do have the rigid fork for the Gen II bike, and that will be the next thing I try, but for now, I have a brief list of "Good" and "Bad" things that I have found running these mid-fat wheels on my Fargo. This certainly isn't a list that is comprehensive or finished yet, but here you go....

Good: The ride is super smooth. The smaller bumps disappear, bigger jolts are mere annoyances, and curbs are swallowed with little to no lifting of the front end. Grip is amazing when the conditions are ripe. Stability at slow speed is enhanced. The smaller sized wheels are easier to spin up by a long shot over 29+, but they do not give you near the momentum carrying capacity of either 29+ or a straight up 29"er wheel. There is more float, and so these carry you into looser terrain a bit further than does the "normal" 29"er wheel and tire.

Bad: Weight. First and foremost, you have a heavier tire and wheel overall than you would a good quality trail wheel in a 29"er format fitted with a good 29"er tire. That means that a 29"er wheel is easier to get going and keep going than these mid-fat wheels, which is most apparent when speeds are higher on harder packed terrain. Rolling resistance- The way the tread hits the trail with these mid-fat wheels versus a 29"er tire is quite different. The WTB Trailblazer is a squared off, "all tread hits the trail" tire where a 29"er tire typically will not do that. Yes- the Trailblazer has a continuous center strip to help against this, and it works, but you will feel the "all the tread-all the time" rolling resistance and especially at lower pressures. Finally, that squared off profile and close tread block pattern makes the Trailblazer a drier conditions tire. Mud will send this tire skittering sideways. It also doesn't have a ton of side bite, but in drier conditions this is okay, in my opinion.

This single speed mid-fat set up is a blast to ride.

Conclusions So Far......

I will likely try the Fargo Gen II with the rigid fork, but in the end, I think I am pretty sure where this whole experiment is going to go. I've tried these wheels on four bikes now, and two of them were instantly inducing smiles, while the other two were head scratching conundrums and have not produced the "fun factor" the other two have. Interestingly, the two fun set ups have both been single speeds.

The lighter weight of a single speed bike overall can allow for heavier wheels and momentum, while not at the levels of a 29"er, are still pretty good with the mid-fat wheels. And we all know momentum is king with regard to single speeding. Add in the extra traction, a bit easier spin up than a 29+, and extra cush, and it all adds up when one gear is used. Why that hasn't translated to a geared hard tail set up has been baffling, but the differences in feel are like night and day to me.

The Industry is going to go "ga-ga" for these mid-fat wheels and I suppose with some quality rubber, it may be an okay deal for some. However; I am not seeing a super-wide ranging appeal here from my point of view. Ride a 29"er most of the time, and where conditions get sketchy, looser, and you want to push out your boundaries, go all in and ride a fat bike. There is one wheel that maybe will yet change my mind and that's the 29+ deal. I tried it on two different rigs. One was an amazing experience, and one was so-so, which leaves me at an inconclusive state where 29+ is concerned. I will be researching that more as time goes forward as well.

Stay tuned.......

Fat Fargo: Thoughts On B+ Wheels

A Gen II Fargo with fatter wheels

As stated yesterday, I wanted to lay down some thoughts on the B+, 27.5+, 650B+ or whatever these are going to be called.....wheels. Let's say "mid-fat" and leave it at that, shall we?

For those of you that are not familiar, and to give those folks interested in specifications their dosage, here are the pertinent features of the mid-fat platforms and also my specs on this wheel set.

• Mid-fat or "plus" sized wheels are really just larger than average tires with high volume on rims you already know and love. There are a few wider rims out now as well. 
• Mid-fat tires can be fitted to the 650B/27.5 or 29"er based platforms. Rim specs in terms of diameter are the same- 622ISO for 29+ and 584ISO for B+/27.5+. Typically, the wider rims are better, so anything with a 30mm wide width or wider works best. Some are 50mm wide, like Surly's Rabbit Hole and Sun Ringle's Mulefut.
• Tires are typically going to be either side of 3 inches wide with a lot of height/volume to the casings. 2.8" to 3.25" seems to be the working range so far. This is for both diameters out there that are being pushed- 27.5+/B+ and 29+.
• Wide rims and fatter, higher volume tires make for big overall diameters. For instance, a 50mm wide rim with a 3.25" "B+" tire is the same diameter, more or less, as a 29" X 2.25" tire. A 29+ tire at 3 inches wide on a 50mm wide rim is approximately the same overall diameter as a 4.8" wide fat bike tire on a 100mm wide rim- 31 inches or so. 

Now for my Fargo wheels, I used 35mm wide Velocity Blunt 35 rims and put some 2.8" WTB Trailblazer tires on them tubeless. This brings the diameter of these wheels to just slightly less than a 29 X 2.2" wheel. That means my bottom bracket is ever so slightly lower. Otherwise, there was plenty of room in the frame to fit this wheel in my Fargo. Now.....why would you do this? That's the big question, and what I wanted to seek out was an answer that satisfied my curiosity. This may not be your answer, but I feel it makes a lot of sense.

The whole "plus" size/mid-fat thing is an attempt to take advantage of fat bike volume, flotation, and grip in a package that isn't so cumbersome, heavy, and that doesn't require weird frames with wide bottom brackets which hurt some folk's knees and whatnot. Are they "fat bikes"? That's a question folks debate. I own both fat bikes and this B+/mid-fat bike. My Fat Fargo is not a fat bike. Nope. Not even close.

But, it isn't like any of my 29"ers either. I have a 29 X 2.4" tired rig that runs 45mm wide Velocity Duallys. While the footprint of those wheels are as big as my mid-fat/B+ tires, they don't have the volume of those B+ tires, and there's where your differences are and why it may make sense to run a mid-fat/B+ rig for you.

The Singular Buzzard with 29 X 2.4" tires on Velocity Duallys

That volume allows for lower pressures without fear of rim strikes. Lower pressures mean the tires conform to terrain features better, which equals more grip and control. The differences are minute, to be sure, but palpable, and in the right rig, a B+/mid-fat set up may make a lot of sense. I thought it worked great on a single speed, for instance, where grip and the lack of suspension might be your set up. I also wanted to try this as a set up for a bikepacking rig or bagged hauler/tourer/versatile mtb set up. That's where the "Fat Fargo" comes in.

My thoughts were that my original Fargo Gen I was the perfect candidate for these wheels, since it wasn't suspension corrected, and a little comfort would be welcomed there. However; the tire clearances in the chain stays were too tight to allow for mud clearances, and I felt the bottom bracket on that bike with the B+ wheels was too low. Bummer that, but I wasn't going to quit just there.

I had the Gen II Fargo, so why not slap those meats into that frame and see what's up. Well, the clearances were really good, and the bottom bracket, while slightly lower for sure, isn't too low, for me. Maybe for you it would be, but so far, I've been just fine with things this way. Of course, the Gen II has a Rock Shox Reba on it and that combo is pluuuuuusssssh. The fork has 80mm of travel, but with the tires, it almost feels like my 140mm of travel on my Buzzard.

I wish this would've worked better.

I do have the rigid fork for the Gen II bike, and that will be the next thing I try, but for now, I have a brief list of "Good" and "Bad" things that I have found running these mid-fat wheels on my Fargo. This certainly isn't a list that is comprehensive or finished yet, but here you go....

Good: The ride is super smooth. The smaller bumps disappear, bigger jolts are mere annoyances, and curbs are swallowed with little to no lifting of the front end. Grip is amazing when the conditions are ripe. Stability at slow speed is enhanced. The smaller sized wheels are easier to spin up by a long shot over 29+, but they do not give you near the momentum carrying capacity of either 29+ or a straight up 29"er wheel. There is more float, and so these carry you into looser terrain a bit further than does the "normal" 29"er wheel and tire.

Bad: Weight. First and foremost, you have a heavier tire and wheel overall than you would a good quality trail wheel in a 29"er format fitted with a good 29"er tire. That means that a 29"er wheel is easier to get going and keep going than these mid-fat wheels, which is most apparent when speeds are higher on harder packed terrain. Rolling resistance- The way the tread hits the trail with these mid-fat wheels versus a 29"er tire is quite different. The WTB Trailblazer is a squared off, "all tread hits the trail" tire where a 29"er tire typically will not do that. Yes- the Trailblazer has a continuous center strip to help against this, and it works, but you will feel the "all the tread-all the time" rolling resistance and especially at lower pressures. Finally, that squared off profile and close tread block pattern makes the Trailblazer a drier conditions tire. Mud will send this tire skittering sideways. It also doesn't have a ton of side bite, but in drier conditions this is okay, in my opinion.

This single speed mid-fat set up is a blast to ride.

Conclusions So Far......

I will likely try the Fargo Gen II with the rigid fork, but in the end, I think I am pretty sure where this whole experiment is going to go. I've tried these wheels on four bikes now, and two of them were instantly inducing smiles, while the other two were head scratching conundrums and have not produced the "fun factor" the other two have. Interestingly, the two fun set ups have both been single speeds.

The lighter weight of a single speed bike overall can allow for heavier wheels and momentum, while not at the levels of a 29"er, are still pretty good with the mid-fat wheels. And we all know momentum is king with regard to single speeding. Add in the extra traction, a bit easier spin up than a 29+, and extra cush, and it all adds up when one gear is used. Why that hasn't translated to a geared hard tail set up has been baffling, but the differences in feel are like night and day to me.

The Industry is going to go "ga-ga" for these mid-fat wheels and I suppose with some quality rubber, it may be an okay deal for some. However; I am not seeing a super-wide ranging appeal here from my point of view. Ride a 29"er most of the time, and where conditions get sketchy, looser, and you want to push out your boundaries, go all in and ride a fat bike. There is one wheel that maybe will yet change my mind and that's the 29+ deal. I tried it on two different rigs. One was an amazing experience, and one was so-so, which leaves me at an inconclusive state where 29+ is concerned. I will be researching that more as time goes forward as well.

Stay tuned.......