Carbon 29"er Wheels: Black Magic Or Bad Disco?

Easton EC-90's

As carbon fiber components continue to encroach upon seemingly every part of our bicycles, particular fear and resistance has been aimed at mountain bikes frames and wheels made from the substance. Oddly enough, the arguments against carbon are contradictory with regards to frames and wheels. One says carbon frames are too fragile for mountain biking, while the other claims that, although carbon wheel strength is almost never questioned, the prices are sky high and "not worth it" compared to aluminum rimmed wheel sets.

That in itself could be its own blog post, but what I wanted to cover was that carbon fiber wheels are revolutionizing the way riders are looking at 29"ers. One only has to go back several years, (or read British mountain biking magazine articles from the present day), to remember that a common argument against 29"ers was that their wheels were to heavy and weak. Not anymore.

Take a quick gander at those Easton EC-90's there. Light? How about a real world weight, (weighed on my scale), of 1450 grams for the pair. (Easton claims just a touch lighter than this.) Okay, but how stiff are these? Let me tell you something- If these rims were aluminum, I would kill them in fairly short order. I happen to be a fairly smooth rider, and wheels last longer under me than with some folks, but if I had banged the aluminum rim like I have banged these, well......the rims would be pretty dinged up by now. 

That's the thing here though. Yeah, so what? Carbon is tough, stiff, and all that, but at what price? The price. Well.........expensive would be a nice way to put it here. $2500.00 is not cheap by any stretch, and you could probably source some hand built aluminum rimmed wheels for a quarter of that price that weighed close to these wheels.

UST rim bed = tubeless ready

Then it all comes down to longevity and performance. Hands down, the carbon wheels win. The thing is, you would have to go through four sets of high end aluminum wheels to equal the price of one set of the carbon rimmed wheels. The other thing is could you put up with slightly flexy wheels through all of that?

Finally- Do carbon rims hold up? If you buy from the leaders in the technology today, the answer is yes. They do hold up. Are there carbon rim failures? Sure there are. But you have to ask yourself: Would an aluminum rim have survived that accident/crash? Not likely. If you have a good company behind you, there are some warranty/crash replacement policies to help you out.

Those are a lot of things to answer and consider, but one thing would make all of this much clearer. That would be if the price of carbon wheel sets comes down. If the performance aspects can be kept, and the weight can be kept low, and the prices brought down to well below 2G for a wheel set, the equation gets a lot easier to balance. I suspect this will happen sometime.

Especially when you consider high end aluminum wheel sets can be as much as 1G or above, a cheaper carbon hoop set would strat to make a whole lot more sense. Time will tell..........

Carbon 29"er Wheels: Black Magic Or Bad Disco?

Easton EC-90's

As carbon fiber components continue to encroach upon seemingly every part of our bicycles, particular fear and resistance has been aimed at mountain bikes frames and wheels made from the substance. Oddly enough, the arguments against carbon are contradictory with regards to frames and wheels. One says carbon frames are too fragile for mountain biking, while the other claims that, although carbon wheel strength is almost never questioned, the prices are sky high and "not worth it" compared to aluminum rimmed wheel sets.

That in itself could be its own blog post, but what I wanted to cover was that carbon fiber wheels are revolutionizing the way riders are looking at 29"ers. One only has to go back several years, (or read British mountain biking magazine articles from the present day), to remember that a common argument against 29"ers was that their wheels were to heavy and weak. Not anymore.

Take a quick gander at those Easton EC-90's there. Light? How about a real world weight, (weighed on my scale), of 1450 grams for the pair. (Easton claims just a touch lighter than this.) Okay, but how stiff are these? Let me tell you something- If these rims were aluminum, I would kill them in fairly short order. I happen to be a fairly smooth rider, and wheels last longer under me than with some folks, but if I had banged the aluminum rim like I have banged these, well......the rims would be pretty dinged up by now. 

That's the thing here though. Yeah, so what? Carbon is tough, stiff, and all that, but at what price? The price. Well.........expensive would be a nice way to put it here. $2500.00 is not cheap by any stretch, and you could probably source some hand built aluminum rimmed wheels for a quarter of that price that weighed close to these wheels.

UST rim bed = tubeless ready

Then it all comes down to longevity and performance. Hands down, the carbon wheels win. The thing is, you would have to go through four sets of high end aluminum wheels to equal the price of one set of the carbon rimmed wheels. The other thing is could you put up with slightly flexy wheels through all of that?

Finally- Do carbon rims hold up? If you buy from the leaders in the technology today, the answer is yes. They do hold up. Are there carbon rim failures? Sure there are. But you have to ask yourself: Would an aluminum rim have survived that accident/crash? Not likely. If you have a good company behind you, there are some warranty/crash replacement policies to help you out.

Those are a lot of things to answer and consider, but one thing would make all of this much clearer. That would be if the price of carbon wheel sets comes down. If the performance aspects can be kept, and the weight can be kept low, and the prices brought down to well below 2G for a wheel set, the equation gets a lot easier to balance. I suspect this will happen sometime.

Especially when you consider high end aluminum wheel sets can be as much as 1G or above, a cheaper carbon hoop set would strat to make a whole lot more sense. Time will tell..........

More Muddin'

It has been raining a lot over the past 24 hours or more, and snow mixed with rain has hit as well.

I am quite excited about this.

Why, you may ask, would I be so excited for this "crap weather"? Well, because I get to go muddin',  of course!

As you can see from the image here, I already have done some recently on the perfect bicycle for it, a fat bike.  In this case, a Salsa Cycles Mukluk. I know, I know..... I've gone on and on and on about the Snow Dog before. You folks out there are probably quite fed up with it. (If not, I just posted a review of it here on Twenty Nine Inches)

The thing is, when you are having fun, you want to share it. I am only trying to tell you that you've no idea how much fun you are missing out on here. Really.

First of all, you really shouldn't go messing up trails when they are muddy that are sensitive. I wouldn't dream of doing that. But.....I have trails around that aren't sensitive to having a bicycle on them when they are wet. Plus- a fat-bike has less impact on trails by far than a traditionally shod off road bicycle. The fat bike tires "float" on top, rather than cut into the mud.

So, I am excited to ride when and where I ordinarily would not be able to today. However; I am finding out that I could sure use a Nate 3.8"er about right now!

More Muddin'

It has been raining a lot over the past 24 hours or more, and snow mixed with rain has hit as well.

I am quite excited about this.

Why, you may ask, would I be so excited for this "crap weather"? Well, because I get to go muddin',  of course!

As you can see from the image here, I already have done some recently on the perfect bicycle for it, a fat bike.  In this case, a Salsa Cycles Mukluk. I know, I know..... I've gone on and on and on about the Snow Dog before. You folks out there are probably quite fed up with it. (If not, I just posted a review of it here on Twenty Nine Inches)

The thing is, when you are having fun, you want to share it. I am only trying to tell you that you've no idea how much fun you are missing out on here. Really.

First of all, you really shouldn't go messing up trails when they are muddy that are sensitive. I wouldn't dream of doing that. But.....I have trails around that aren't sensitive to having a bicycle on them when they are wet. Plus- a fat-bike has less impact on trails by far than a traditionally shod off road bicycle. The fat bike tires "float" on top, rather than cut into the mud.

So, I am excited to ride when and where I ordinarily would not be able to today. However; I am finding out that I could sure use a Nate 3.8"er about right now!

Trans Iowa V8: Some Important Announcements

Plowboy: Makin' B Roads Just For You!

Okay folks.....for all of you who have been coming here of late, (and by the looks of my stats, a lot of you are pretty new to this blog), I have a bit of 'splainin' ta do.

You see, there is this event called "Trans Iowa" that I got myself tied up with back in 2004. (You can read the history here, if you care to.) Well, anyway- this is the time of year that I use this space to start making my big announcements for those who care about this silly 300 plus mile gravel grinder. Since a few blocks fell into place yesterday, I am going to take the time to make some important announcements.

Start Town: I had it confirmed as of yesterday that I have the support and blessing of Grinnell, Iowa for being the start/finish town for Trans Iowa V8. This is a good thing, and those that have been there the past two years know all about why that is.

Lodging: I won't get into all the details here, but click this link for the information. What is rad is that the rate is the same as last year, which was the same as the year before! Yup. No price increases. Nice!

Sponsor: Even before I had solid details on where T.I.V8 would be based out of, Gu Energy jumped on board with Trans Iowa again for 2012. (Anyone thinking about becoming a sponsor of T.I.V8 can e-mail me and let me know.)

Dates: Trans Iowa V8 will have its Pre-Race Meat-Up, (location, time TBA), on April 27th, 2012. Attendance at this meeting is a requirement to be in the event. T.I.V8 will start at 4am Saturday, April 28th, and will end at 2:00pm, Sunday, April 29th.

Registration: Dates for registration to get into T.I.V8 will start later this month. Don't do anything yet! I will be running registration in a similar manner to how it went last year, with past Finishers getting the first pick of the 100 open slots on the roster. The remaining spots will then be divided up between Veterans and Rookies. Specific times, requirements, and rules to get registered will be communicated here in detail soon. Stay tuned...... Cost to enter? Free.

Miscellaneous: The course is being researched, cue cards are being formulated, and a Checkpoint #1 location has been determined. I can tell you now that the first checkpoint will be 51.14 miles after the start and there will be no B Roads in the first section. 169 miles of the course are confirmed so far. That's a bit over half of what I want to have for the total mileage. Of the last bits, I am pretty sure of the roads on approximately 100 miles of the back end of the course. More course recon is planned soon. Stay tuned for that.

There will be a remote checkpoint, (no services, in the middle of no where), and there will be a "Secret Checkpoint", (exact purposes of which will be communicated later).

Thanks for reading, and remember: This is a free event, nothing is provided but route directions. You are responsible for Yourself.

Trans Iowa V8: Some Important Announcements

Plowboy: Makin' B Roads Just For You!

Okay folks.....for all of you who have been coming here of late, (and by the looks of my stats, a lot of you are pretty new to this blog), I have a bit of 'splainin' ta do.

You see, there is this event called "Trans Iowa" that I got myself tied up with back in 2004. (You can read the history here, if you care to.) Well, anyway- this is the time of year that I use this space to start making my big announcements for those who care about this silly 300 plus mile gravel grinder. Since a few blocks fell into place yesterday, I am going to take the time to make some important announcements.

Start Town: I had it confirmed as of yesterday that I have the support and blessing of Grinnell, Iowa for being the start/finish town for Trans Iowa V8. This is a good thing, and those that have been there the past two years know all about why that is.

Lodging: I won't get into all the details here, but click this link for the information. What is rad is that the rate is the same as last year, which was the same as the year before! Yup. No price increases. Nice!

Sponsor: Even before I had solid details on where T.I.V8 would be based out of, Gu Energy jumped on board with Trans Iowa again for 2012. (Anyone thinking about becoming a sponsor of T.I.V8 can e-mail me and let me know.)

Dates: Trans Iowa V8 will have its Pre-Race Meat-Up, (location, time TBA), on April 27th, 2012. Attendance at this meeting is a requirement to be in the event. T.I.V8 will start at 4am Saturday, April 28th, and will end at 2:00pm, Sunday, April 29th.

Registration: Dates for registration to get into T.I.V8 will start later this month. Don't do anything yet! I will be running registration in a similar manner to how it went last year, with past Finishers getting the first pick of the 100 open slots on the roster. The remaining spots will then be divided up between Veterans and Rookies. Specific times, requirements, and rules to get registered will be communicated here in detail soon. Stay tuned...... Cost to enter? Free.

Miscellaneous: The course is being researched, cue cards are being formulated, and a Checkpoint #1 location has been determined. I can tell you now that the first checkpoint will be 51.14 miles after the start and there will be no B Roads in the first section. 169 miles of the course are confirmed so far. That's a bit over half of what I want to have for the total mileage. Of the last bits, I am pretty sure of the roads on approximately 100 miles of the back end of the course. More course recon is planned soon. Stay tuned for that.

There will be a remote checkpoint, (no services, in the middle of no where), and there will be a "Secret Checkpoint", (exact purposes of which will be communicated later).

Thanks for reading, and remember: This is a free event, nothing is provided but route directions. You are responsible for Yourself.

Getting The Rides In

Blackbuck in season

Is it me, or does time seem more compressed at this time of year? It's as if the scurrying and business of the animals getting ready for winter finally rubs off on me. The daylight is shorter. I'm sure that has something to do with it as well.

Whatever it is, I feel pinched. Like I am running out of time on that pop quiz and I have three answers to go in 30 seconds.

I've got some loose ends to sew up before the snow flies in regard to test rides, and I have some things around the house I need to attend to, which really should have been done months ago. Yeah, my middle name is "Procrastination", and that bites me sometimes. Oh well......At least I got some good rides in. 

I also must have some of those genes that make me want to hibernate. I slept like a baby Saturday night, got an extra hour of sleep, due to our silly rearranging of the clock, and still could hardly crawl outta the sack. Again, I blame the season, or is it the end of the season?  Hmm......maybe I'm just wore out is all.

Anyway, I got the Blackbuck all set up with the Manitou Tower Expert fork, aired the Kenda Slant Six tires to a low setting, and hit the Green Belt yesterday. I'll say this, Manitou have themselves a really nice, ordinary suspension device. I am always pleased with the way these forks feel, the ease of set up, the low maintenance, and performance. They do not have some things that would likely make them a hair better. Things like easy to use 15mm through axles, tapered steer tubes, and a presence in the marketplace. Too bad too.

To be fair, I know Manitou is working on bringing out the 15QR versions and tapered steer tube versions of their forks, but every day that goes by is another day they get shot out the back, and that's a cryin' shame. The marketplace could use a strong third competitor that has a competitive price and performance like Manitou almost has.

Time is running on, and people are gettin' rides in. Hopefully Manitou gets bridged up. As for me, I just hope the weather hangs on a bit longer than Thanksgiving this year.....

Getting The Rides In

Blackbuck in season

Is it me, or does time seem more compressed at this time of year? It's as if the scurrying and business of the animals getting ready for winter finally rubs off on me. The daylight is shorter. I'm sure that has something to do with it as well.

Whatever it is, I feel pinched. Like I am running out of time on that pop quiz and I have three answers to go in 30 seconds.

I've got some loose ends to sew up before the snow flies in regard to test rides, and I have some things around the house I need to attend to, which really should have been done months ago. Yeah, my middle name is "Procrastination", and that bites me sometimes. Oh well......At least I got some good rides in. 

I also must have some of those genes that make me want to hibernate. I slept like a baby Saturday night, got an extra hour of sleep, due to our silly rearranging of the clock, and still could hardly crawl outta the sack. Again, I blame the season, or is it the end of the season?  Hmm......maybe I'm just wore out is all.

Anyway, I got the Blackbuck all set up with the Manitou Tower Expert fork, aired the Kenda Slant Six tires to a low setting, and hit the Green Belt yesterday. I'll say this, Manitou have themselves a really nice, ordinary suspension device. I am always pleased with the way these forks feel, the ease of set up, the low maintenance, and performance. They do not have some things that would likely make them a hair better. Things like easy to use 15mm through axles, tapered steer tubes, and a presence in the marketplace. Too bad too.

To be fair, I know Manitou is working on bringing out the 15QR versions and tapered steer tube versions of their forks, but every day that goes by is another day they get shot out the back, and that's a cryin' shame. The marketplace could use a strong third competitor that has a competitive price and performance like Manitou almost has.

Time is running on, and people are gettin' rides in. Hopefully Manitou gets bridged up. As for me, I just hope the weather hangs on a bit longer than Thanksgiving this year.....

New Trail!

Oh yeah.....New Trail! Then I remember.......uggh! New trail. You know how it goes here in the Mid-West, at any rate. New trail is always welcome, for the most part, by off road cyclists. However; it also means that you will have that not-so-nice new trail feeling after your ride!

Flags, bumps, and a thin, scratched out line.

I shoulda rode the Snow Dog! Well, at least it was challenging, that much is true. The new single track is on the South Side of Camp Ingawanis. It is going to be a very nice addition when it gets worked into the land. Right now it has the dichotomy of being fluffy and bumpy. The dirt, having had nothing on it but decaying plant residue for who knows how long, is all fluffy, but that doesn't mean your ride over it is.

In fact, the fluff allows you to find unseen roots, and holes and harder dirt. All conspire to make forward progress really tough in places. So, it is tougher than it looks now, but it will get burned in, and we'll have some nice, twisty, up and down single track to add into the already very nice loop out there.

Saturday was my first ride on most of  it. I may get out again today, but I have an appointment for some special Father/Son time which I really need to participate in.  Maybe I should drag him out to the Camp to scope out the deer that were frolicking around in there today while I rode. I bet he'd get a kick out of that.

But however that goes, I hope you all are having a great weekend!

New Trail!

Oh yeah.....New Trail! Then I remember.......uggh! New trail. You know how it goes here in the Mid-West, at any rate. New trail is always welcome, for the most part, by off road cyclists. However; it also means that you will have that not-so-nice new trail feeling after your ride!

Flags, bumps, and a thin, scratched out line.

I shoulda rode the Snow Dog! Well, at least it was challenging, that much is true. The new single track is on the South Side of Camp Ingawanis. It is going to be a very nice addition when it gets worked into the land. Right now it has the dichotomy of being fluffy and bumpy. The dirt, having had nothing on it but decaying plant residue for who knows how long, is all fluffy, but that doesn't mean your ride over it is.

In fact, the fluff allows you to find unseen roots, and holes and harder dirt. All conspire to make forward progress really tough in places. So, it is tougher than it looks now, but it will get burned in, and we'll have some nice, twisty, up and down single track to add into the already very nice loop out there.

Saturday was my first ride on most of  it. I may get out again today, but I have an appointment for some special Father/Son time which I really need to participate in.  Maybe I should drag him out to the Camp to scope out the deer that were frolicking around in there today while I rode. I bet he'd get a kick out of that.

But however that goes, I hope you all are having a great weekend!

Salsa Cycles Fargo: One vs Two

Fargos: Gen 1 on Left, Gen 2 on Right

Well, the Gen 2 Fargo has been test ridden. I have to make a few adjustments, but it will not change dramatically from this.

I thought it would be fun to get both Fargos out and line them up against each other. Since both are "Fun Guy Green" in color, at first glance, the differences don't jump out at you.

They are definitely different though. It is obvious when you ride them. The Gen 2 has a positioning which lends a stretched out feel as you ride. The Gen 1 sits you up a bit more. The seat angle and head angle on the Gen 1 put your body weight more rearward, and the Gen 2 puts more of my weight on the front wheel.  Little geometry differences make handling differences that give these two bikes very different personalities.

I've always maintained that the Gen 1 Fargo didn't have a head tube that was extended upward, but one that was extended downward.  This to make up for the non-suspension corrected nature of the fork. You can see that in the side by side comparison where the handle bars and head tube tops are pretty much identical in height.

The other thing that I notice is the overall appearance of Gen 1 Fargo "pops" more with the contrasting decal panel and logos which are almost so subtle on Gen 2 Fargo they are largely unnoticeable. Not that "unnoticeable" is bad, but when the design isn't all that appealing when you do notice it, it is a bit of a letdown rather than a "hey- that's cool!" moment, like it is on the old Big Mama graphics, for example.

My opinion. I'm sure there are others that think the new graphics are super fantastic.

The look of the Gen 2 is "okay" in Fun Guy Green, but I am fine with it. The performance of the bike is what really matters anyway.

Leaner, more meaner.

Like I said, a few things may change. Minor things. At some point, I will add a Chris King green head set. I will have to get a WTB Pure V saddle for this also. Finally, I may or may not stay with the Cane Creek Thudbuster. My thoughts are that a titanium seat post might be just about as good, and it would be lighter to boot. I'm running enough exposed post to make it a worthwhile consideration here, but.....those titanium posts are spendy. 

Then again, some say a nice aluminum post will do just as well. Thomson? Yeah, that would work, and then you have the nice carbon posts from Easton and others.  I dunno. We'll give the Cane Creek its chances on this bike and decide later.

Then you have the reasons for having either Fargo. You know, I don't necessarily need both.  It's like I have said here before though, I so like the first Fargo, and I have some great memories, (and some bitter ones too!), using that bike. Hard for me to let go, and it does do gravel travel really well. So- it still serves a purpose. I will likely build up a specific light duty wheel set for that Fargo and tweak out the drive train a bit, but it is pretty much sitting right where I want it there.

Gen 2 Fargo will be all about mountain biking, single track, and the like. I will also track down a suspension fork for it sometime soon, which will make it more versatile. Sometimes it will be rigid, sometimes suspended, depending upon where I go with it.

So, that's about all for now. Let me know if you have any questions about these, how they differ, or on anything else Fargo related.

Salsa Cycles Fargo: One vs Two

Fargos: Gen 1 on Left, Gen 2 on Right

Well, the Gen 2 Fargo has been test ridden. I have to make a few adjustments, but it will not change dramatically from this.

I thought it would be fun to get both Fargos out and line them up against each other. Since both are "Fun Guy Green" in color, at first glance, the differences don't jump out at you.

They are definitely different though. It is obvious when you ride them. The Gen 2 has a positioning which lends a stretched out feel as you ride. The Gen 1 sits you up a bit more. The seat angle and head angle on the Gen 1 put your body weight more rearward, and the Gen 2 puts more of my weight on the front wheel.  Little geometry differences make handling differences that give these two bikes very different personalities.

I've always maintained that the Gen 1 Fargo didn't have a head tube that was extended upward, but one that was extended downward.  This to make up for the non-suspension corrected nature of the fork. You can see that in the side by side comparison where the handle bars and head tube tops are pretty much identical in height.

The other thing that I notice is the overall appearance of Gen 1 Fargo "pops" more with the contrasting decal panel and logos which are almost so subtle on Gen 2 Fargo they are largely unnoticeable. Not that "unnoticeable" is bad, but when the design isn't all that appealing when you do notice it, it is a bit of a letdown rather than a "hey- that's cool!" moment, like it is on the old Big Mama graphics, for example.

My opinion. I'm sure there are others that think the new graphics are super fantastic.

The look of the Gen 2 is "okay" in Fun Guy Green, but I am fine with it. The performance of the bike is what really matters anyway.

Leaner, more meaner.

Like I said, a few things may change. Minor things. At some point, I will add a Chris King green head set. I will have to get a WTB Pure V saddle for this also. Finally, I may or may not stay with the Cane Creek Thudbuster. My thoughts are that a titanium seat post might be just about as good, and it would be lighter to boot. I'm running enough exposed post to make it a worthwhile consideration here, but.....those titanium posts are spendy. 

Then again, some say a nice aluminum post will do just as well. Thomson? Yeah, that would work, and then you have the nice carbon posts from Easton and others.  I dunno. We'll give the Cane Creek its chances on this bike and decide later.

Then you have the reasons for having either Fargo. You know, I don't necessarily need both.  It's like I have said here before though, I so like the first Fargo, and I have some great memories, (and some bitter ones too!), using that bike. Hard for me to let go, and it does do gravel travel really well. So- it still serves a purpose. I will likely build up a specific light duty wheel set for that Fargo and tweak out the drive train a bit, but it is pretty much sitting right where I want it there.

Gen 2 Fargo will be all about mountain biking, single track, and the like. I will also track down a suspension fork for it sometime soon, which will make it more versatile. Sometimes it will be rigid, sometimes suspended, depending upon where I go with it.

So, that's about all for now. Let me know if you have any questions about these, how they differ, or on anything else Fargo related.

Friday News And Views

Analog calendar, digitally produced!

It's That Time Of Year Again: Part II

I like paper calendars that you can hang on the wall. I don't use them so much for keeping appointments, or for putting notes down on them, or for anything much beyond using them for a visual reference of time.

Well, there is that and imagery. I like calendars as a kind of monthly change of imagery. You know, its almost like a new picture on the wall every month. I like that aspect about calendars with big, colorful imagery.

Now it is getting around to that time of year again where a new set of 12 images needs to go up on the wall, and of course, the better the images, the....well, better! To that end, I have come across a calendar by none other than the mountain bike dude extraordinaire, Mike Curiak.

If you don't know Mike, well you should click that link and get to know him a bit. If you like the outdoors and cycling, I have a feeling you might enjoy what you find there. If you do know about him, he needs no introductions from me. Just know that this calendar has some really great imagery, and all taken by Mike hisself. Click here for details on how to get yourself a calendar. I paid and got mine in the mail yesterday! (Thanks Mike!)

Fargo Gen II Update: I have been poking around on this build since I got this in, and last night I got it mostly done. Here is a rundown on what parts I decided to throw at this build.

Drive train: This was a bit of a decision. I could go to 10 speed, since that is what almost all mountain bikes are going to be sooner than later. I could go with SRAM, or I could go with......SRAM. Yeah, you see, Shimano STI and mountain bike derailleurs do not play well together in the 10 speed world. Okay, so if I went with Shimano, I go 9spd. Then there was the costs. STI or SRAM brifters are expensive! I could do bar end shifters and Tektro 520 brake levers for under half as much money. That's substantial. Then I looked at a SRAM or Shimano set up. SRAM would mean that I would have to get deraillers. I had Shimano derailleurs front and rear sitting around.

Decision made. Shimano 9spd bar end shifter with a SLX front derailleur and a Ultegra 9spd rear long cage.

Moving on- Brake calipers and rotors- Avid BB-7 mtn, wheels from Velocity. Blunt SL hoops laced to Velocity hubs. Tubeless of course. Cane Creek Thudbuster SL post, Salsa stem, On One Midge Bar, Bontrager Rhythm saddle. Generic head set that will get replaced with a green Sotto Voce Chris King to match the installed green Chris King bottom bracket which supports a LX level two piece Shimano crank with 42/32/22 gearing. SRAM 9spd cassette out back. Pics soon. Stay tuned....

Ergon HE2 Gloves.

Tuxedo, ebony and ivory, yin and yang. there is just something about a good black and white scheme, that if done right, just looks really classy.

Take for instance these Ergon HE2 mitts. We got to review these and the post on that can be found here. This will not be about how those gloves worked, but I am going to say that these hand covers are possibly the coolest looking, classiest All Mountain, Trail type gloves I have ever seen.

The overall look is just too nice. I kind of felt guilty if they got a little dirty, you know. Kind of like when you are wearing that nice pair of pants and playing a game of catch that turns into a re-creation of "Super Bowl Whatever" and the next thing you know, you've got grass stains on your knees and your gal is coming out to the car to go to the movie.

Well, you know what I mean!

The good news is that the Ergon gloves are washable. That restored my faith in wearing them for mountain biking. Not that I actually washed them, mind you. Just knowing I could was enough. I didn't wash them for fear that they would return to the shrink wrap fit that I didn't really care for at first when I got them. I was told they would stretch out, and they did- to a perfect feeling fit. I wasn't about to ruin that by washing them! Fortunately for me, Ergon HE2's and "The Funk" never got hooked up during my review. (By the way, I hear they do just fine after washing, so all my worrying was for naught!)

Well, at any rate, the things looked "mahvelous dah-ling!" Much better than a mountain bike glove has a right to.

Okay, there's another week gone by and 2011 is fast coming to a close. Get out and make some tracks on yer bicycles and take some pics! have a great weekend!

Friday News And Views

Analog calendar, digitally produced!

It's That Time Of Year Again: Part II

I like paper calendars that you can hang on the wall. I don't use them so much for keeping appointments, or for putting notes down on them, or for anything much beyond using them for a visual reference of time.

Well, there is that and imagery. I like calendars as a kind of monthly change of imagery. You know, its almost like a new picture on the wall every month. I like that aspect about calendars with big, colorful imagery.

Now it is getting around to that time of year again where a new set of 12 images needs to go up on the wall, and of course, the better the images, the....well, better! To that end, I have come across a calendar by none other than the mountain bike dude extraordinaire, Mike Curiak.

If you don't know Mike, well you should click that link and get to know him a bit. If you like the outdoors and cycling, I have a feeling you might enjoy what you find there. If you do know about him, he needs no introductions from me. Just know that this calendar has some really great imagery, and all taken by Mike hisself. Click here for details on how to get yourself a calendar. I paid and got mine in the mail yesterday! (Thanks Mike!)

Fargo Gen II Update: I have been poking around on this build since I got this in, and last night I got it mostly done. Here is a rundown on what parts I decided to throw at this build.

Drive train: This was a bit of a decision. I could go to 10 speed, since that is what almost all mountain bikes are going to be sooner than later. I could go with SRAM, or I could go with......SRAM. Yeah, you see, Shimano STI and mountain bike derailleurs do not play well together in the 10 speed world. Okay, so if I went with Shimano, I go 9spd. Then there was the costs. STI or SRAM brifters are expensive! I could do bar end shifters and Tektro 520 brake levers for under half as much money. That's substantial. Then I looked at a SRAM or Shimano set up. SRAM would mean that I would have to get deraillers. I had Shimano derailleurs front and rear sitting around.

Decision made. Shimano 9spd bar end shifter with a SLX front derailleur and a Ultegra 9spd rear long cage.

Moving on- Brake calipers and rotors- Avid BB-7 mtn, wheels from Velocity. Blunt SL hoops laced to Velocity hubs. Tubeless of course. Cane Creek Thudbuster SL post, Salsa stem, On One Midge Bar, Bontrager Rhythm saddle. Generic head set that will get replaced with a green Sotto Voce Chris King to match the installed green Chris King bottom bracket which supports a LX level two piece Shimano crank with 42/32/22 gearing. SRAM 9spd cassette out back. Pics soon. Stay tuned....

Ergon HE2 Gloves.

Tuxedo, ebony and ivory, yin and yang. there is just something about a good black and white scheme, that if done right, just looks really classy.

Take for instance these Ergon HE2 mitts. We got to review these and the post on that can be found here. This will not be about how those gloves worked, but I am going to say that these hand covers are possibly the coolest looking, classiest All Mountain, Trail type gloves I have ever seen.

The overall look is just too nice. I kind of felt guilty if they got a little dirty, you know. Kind of like when you are wearing that nice pair of pants and playing a game of catch that turns into a re-creation of "Super Bowl Whatever" and the next thing you know, you've got grass stains on your knees and your gal is coming out to the car to go to the movie.

Well, you know what I mean!

The good news is that the Ergon gloves are washable. That restored my faith in wearing them for mountain biking. Not that I actually washed them, mind you. Just knowing I could was enough. I didn't wash them for fear that they would return to the shrink wrap fit that I didn't really care for at first when I got them. I was told they would stretch out, and they did- to a perfect feeling fit. I wasn't about to ruin that by washing them! Fortunately for me, Ergon HE2's and "The Funk" never got hooked up during my review. (By the way, I hear they do just fine after washing, so all my worrying was for naught!)

Well, at any rate, the things looked "mahvelous dah-ling!" Much better than a mountain bike glove has a right to.

Okay, there's another week gone by and 2011 is fast coming to a close. Get out and make some tracks on yer bicycles and take some pics! have a great weekend!

Analog Or Digital?: The Electronic Shifter Debate

K-Edge left electronic mtb shifter

Today's rant brought to you by The Electron, without which your day would totally suck. (And without which you wouldn't even be looking at this!)

  Remember to pick up your Electrons today! (Now in handy pill sized Lithium-Ion form for your convenience!)

Changes....they keep on a-comin', and one thing is certain, that won't change. The latest thing to bubble up is electronic shifting. Just a roadie thing, you say? Well, I think it will definitely come to mountain bikes someday. Probably sooner than later.

I'm speaking of production gruppos, by the way. If you want a mountain bike Di2 set up, you can get that already here. It is a graft of road production electronic shifting onto a mountain biking format.

My thoughts are not whether this is "good" or "bad", per se', but rather, just what does this say, if anything, about mountain biking? Is it really "mountain biking" if we cross the line to electronic shifting, or have we sold our souls to a "digital devil"? Where does it stop? Maybe you've heard about, or remember electronically controlled suspension forks, and certainly we all know about electrically assisted mountain bikes.

It seems to be the way of "progress" to make everything robotic and digitized. Certainly, it is a pillar of our Western world culture. Make something "new" and "better" in terms of what this means to our culture and you inevitably come to grips with zeroes and ones at some point. Digital, electronic, and servo-motored reality is encroaching upon all aspects of our way of life. Don't think so? Turn off the power to your house, and take away the batteries, then see how far you get. Suddenly the Amish don't look so foolish.

But I am not debating the good or bad concerning our post-post modern way of life, just pointing out that it seems inevitable that cycling will be overtaken by servo-motored, assisted shifting, electronically controlled shock damping, and heck, even navigation and training are already dominated by electronics. 

Bringing it back to shifting: Does this signal the end for Bowden cable operated mountain bikes?

First off, I think that answer is no, it doesn't. Much needs to be figured out yet, and even then, the costs of such electronic shifting systems is enormous compared to "normal" shifting systems. I do think it will happen, but I don't think it will eliminate what we already are using.

The bigger question to me is the philosophical one about what is mountain biking? Does mountain biking become something less when we start to decrease the human power element, if electronic shifting even does that to any degree? (I would say that it does.) It seems like the more we rely on electronics to do work for us, the more we remove ourselves from something essential to bicycling.

Maybe that's just old, crusty, retro-grouch me, but I believe it. (Signing off now as I switch off the electric guitar and pick up my acoustic.....)

Analog Or Digital?: The Electronic Shifter Debate

K-Edge left electronic mtb shifter

Today's rant brought to you by The Electron, without which your day would totally suck. (And without which you wouldn't even be looking at this!)

  Remember to pick up your Electrons today! (Now in handy pill sized Lithium-Ion form for your convenience!)

Changes....they keep on a-comin', and one thing is certain, that won't change. The latest thing to bubble up is electronic shifting. Just a roadie thing, you say? Well, I think it will definitely come to mountain bikes someday. Probably sooner than later.

I'm speaking of production gruppos, by the way. If you want a mountain bike Di2 set up, you can get that already here. It is a graft of road production electronic shifting onto a mountain biking format.

My thoughts are not whether this is "good" or "bad", per se', but rather, just what does this say, if anything, about mountain biking? Is it really "mountain biking" if we cross the line to electronic shifting, or have we sold our souls to a "digital devil"? Where does it stop? Maybe you've heard about, or remember electronically controlled suspension forks, and certainly we all know about electrically assisted mountain bikes.

It seems to be the way of "progress" to make everything robotic and digitized. Certainly, it is a pillar of our Western world culture. Make something "new" and "better" in terms of what this means to our culture and you inevitably come to grips with zeroes and ones at some point. Digital, electronic, and servo-motored reality is encroaching upon all aspects of our way of life. Don't think so? Turn off the power to your house, and take away the batteries, then see how far you get. Suddenly the Amish don't look so foolish.

But I am not debating the good or bad concerning our post-post modern way of life, just pointing out that it seems inevitable that cycling will be overtaken by servo-motored, assisted shifting, electronically controlled shock damping, and heck, even navigation and training are already dominated by electronics. 

Bringing it back to shifting: Does this signal the end for Bowden cable operated mountain bikes?

First off, I think that answer is no, it doesn't. Much needs to be figured out yet, and even then, the costs of such electronic shifting systems is enormous compared to "normal" shifting systems. I do think it will happen, but I don't think it will eliminate what we already are using.

The bigger question to me is the philosophical one about what is mountain biking? Does mountain biking become something less when we start to decrease the human power element, if electronic shifting even does that to any degree? (I would say that it does.) It seems like the more we rely on electronics to do work for us, the more we remove ourselves from something essential to bicycling.

Maybe that's just old, crusty, retro-grouch me, but I believe it. (Signing off now as I switch off the electric guitar and pick up my acoustic.....)

Oh Yeah....It's That Time Of Year Again!

Just To Get Used To It....

So, What it is about this "Movember" thing anyway? Is this some kind of secret "man-club" thing, or a thinly veiled attempt to bilk money from my pockets for a faux-fundraiser, or what?  I mean.....big deal...Men grow facial hair. Get over it already.

Anyway, you may notice that I get a bit grumpy this time of year. Ranting, biting peoples heads off, and just generally a little bit irritable.

November. Time change. Short days.

I guess I don't play well with that. So, knowing me like I do, I have decided to take a preemptive strike against this "darkness". I actually did something about it years ago, but have recently added to my arsenal against cabin fever. Years ago I started cross country skiing. It is a great activity, if you have the snow for it. That isn't always a given in these parts. So, it was a marginally successful pursuit.  Added to that the fact that I had to travel somewhere to do the activity made it another barrier to getting out there.

That's why I needed something else. That something could have been here years ago, but for my misinformed mind telling me "it isn't worth getting this for the two weeks out of the year you would use it". I am glad I finally stopped listening to that little voice in my head. (Yes.....I am crazy. So?.....)

Bare nekkid picture!

That "something" turned out to be the "Snow Dog". The bike that I wrote about yesterday. See, this can be ridden right out of my front door, whether it snows or not. This breaks down a lot of barriers for me.

I also found out that this activity was a blast. I could poke around my own snow bound neighborhood, jumping snow piles, cruising alleyways, and generally goofing off, all the while staying warm, and getting some much needed exercise.

Which brings me to another point I don't like about this time of year. It gets dark, the weather gets worse, and all I want to do is sit around and nibble on this or that. Not good. Me and "sedentary" shouldn't hang out with each other. Really. It just turns out bad for me. So, I am making another preemptive strike against needless nibbling.

It all starts with Halloween. That time that we are supposed to be focusing on spirits and instead, it got twisted into a corn syrup fed orgy of commercialism. Meh! Then it goes right into more darkness followed by Thanksgiving, another carbo-fueled excess that has been twisted into something unrecognizable from its origins. And well......it just gets worse from there. Especially for me with two family members birthdays in December immediately followed by Christmas, New Years, and then the deep, frigid loneliness called January. 

Oh.......sorry! I got a little carried away there. Yeah....so what I was gonna say is that I am going to consciously consume less and move more in this Winter season. So, if "Move-ember" is what ya'all are talkin' about now, I am totally down with that idea. Yeah. Move! All winter.

Ready, set, go!

Oh Yeah....It's That Time Of Year Again!

Just To Get Used To It....

So, What it is about this "Movember" thing anyway? Is this some kind of secret "man-club" thing, or a thinly veiled attempt to bilk money from my pockets for a faux-fundraiser, or what?  I mean.....big deal...Men grow facial hair. Get over it already.

Anyway, you may notice that I get a bit grumpy this time of year. Ranting, biting peoples heads off, and just generally a little bit irritable.

November. Time change. Short days.

I guess I don't play well with that. So, knowing me like I do, I have decided to take a preemptive strike against this "darkness". I actually did something about it years ago, but have recently added to my arsenal against cabin fever. Years ago I started cross country skiing. It is a great activity, if you have the snow for it. That isn't always a given in these parts. So, it was a marginally successful pursuit.  Added to that the fact that I had to travel somewhere to do the activity made it another barrier to getting out there.

That's why I needed something else. That something could have been here years ago, but for my misinformed mind telling me "it isn't worth getting this for the two weeks out of the year you would use it". I am glad I finally stopped listening to that little voice in my head. (Yes.....I am crazy. So?.....)

Bare nekkid picture!

That "something" turned out to be the "Snow Dog". The bike that I wrote about yesterday. See, this can be ridden right out of my front door, whether it snows or not. This breaks down a lot of barriers for me.

I also found out that this activity was a blast. I could poke around my own snow bound neighborhood, jumping snow piles, cruising alleyways, and generally goofing off, all the while staying warm, and getting some much needed exercise.

Which brings me to another point I don't like about this time of year. It gets dark, the weather gets worse, and all I want to do is sit around and nibble on this or that. Not good. Me and "sedentary" shouldn't hang out with each other. Really. It just turns out bad for me. So, I am making another preemptive strike against needless nibbling.

It all starts with Halloween. That time that we are supposed to be focusing on spirits and instead, it got twisted into a corn syrup fed orgy of commercialism. Meh! Then it goes right into more darkness followed by Thanksgiving, another carbo-fueled excess that has been twisted into something unrecognizable from its origins. And well......it just gets worse from there. Especially for me with two family members birthdays in December immediately followed by Christmas, New Years, and then the deep, frigid loneliness called January. 

Oh.......sorry! I got a little carried away there. Yeah....so what I was gonna say is that I am going to consciously consume less and move more in this Winter season. So, if "Move-ember" is what ya'all are talkin' about now, I am totally down with that idea. Yeah. Move! All winter.

Ready, set, go!

Salsa: Three Flavors

I did a few rides over the past three days, and it wasn't until later that I realized they were all on Salsa Cycles bikes.

Disclaimer: Now, I have to explain that I have been a big fan of what Salsa Cycles has been doing in regards to ideas for bicycles for several years now, and each one of these bikes I have exemplify certain aspects of what excites me about riding bicycles. This may come off as a "fanboi" post, but it is what it is. I like these bikes. So, here we go- I'll give some commentary on each bike as I go....

Big Mama

Saturday it was the Big Mama that got the call. This rig isn't in production anymore. It has been replaced by the Horsethief, but the Big Mama is a solid rig that has a great balanced feel with the Manitou Tower fork up front.

I was rocking this bike at the camp's South side where conditions were bone dry and rock hard. Having all that suspension on tap made mincemeat of the trails, and I did two passes which left me feeling fine afterward. I wasn't rattled. I felt tired, but not beat up.

Not that those hidden roots and rocks under the leaves didn't try to rattle my cage, because they did. The combination of big Bontrager 29-4's and Big Mama suspension just smoothed it all over though. The Bontrager tires seem to be gripping well, and these would be a good tire for around here on the front of a rigid single speed, or as I have them- on a full suspension trail bike.

Mukluk

Sunday nearly got away from me before I found some time before the sun set to get away on my Salsa Cycles Mukluk. This could possibly be my favorite Salsa Cycles bike ever. I know it is high on the "fun factor".

The Mukluk and I have been heading over to the "lake-let", (overgrown pond?),  nearby the Guitar Ted Laboratories where there is a neat path around the lake. I was taking in some late Fall colors here, but what is really cool is that the water levels are down slightly.

This has exposed a lot of boggy, mossy, and sandy areas often covered in Red Cedar dead fall that I can now ride across on my Mukluk. Right on the water's edge, I can cruise along rather easily, for the most part, where there is no way I could even ride another bike at all. Probably not even walk on some of it without sinking through to my ankles in gooey mud. Those big Larry tires and 82mm wide Rolling Darryl rims just make this "impossible" terrain a possibility that is a ton of fun to be able to do.

The bonus here is that I didn't even tear up anything. In fact, I think I didn't even get any mud on the bike. Just got a bit wet is all. This is a low impact rig, that's for sure. I recently scored some Big Fat Larrys from Ben Witt that are even wider tires than what I have on this now. When those go on, the flotation level will go up a few more notches, taking me into even more normally unrideable territory. Fun? Are you kidding? This thing makes me grin on every ride I take it on.

Fargo Gen I

I just got the Fargo re-done. I used my Midge Bar I had in reserve, and set it up with different wheels and tires. Different stem with zero rise, and a tad shorter. New bar tape too. I rode it Monday to make sure everything was just right.

Ya know, I just got a new Fargo Gen II, and I am really stoked about that rig. It is going to tear up the single track when I get it ready, and I could even get a suspension fork on it when the going gets rough, but there is something about Gen I that I can't let go of.

I "bonded" with this bike almost immediately. Ever since I've had it, it just feels "right" every time I throw a leg over it. Like it was custom made just for me. Uncanny that. I've never had a feeling like that since I've had this bike around with any other bike I've ridden, and I've ridden a lot of different bikes.

Added to that is all the great rides I've had on this bike. Two Fargo Adventure Rides, numerous gravel rides, and even some single track rides. This bike has been all over the Mid-West with me. Night gravel rides and commuting. All those great memories. I plan on making many more with this bike.

Adventure By Bike

So yeah.....I like my Salsa bikes, but they have a similar philosophy that I have been cultivating since I was a kid back in my home town of Charles City, Iowa. They call it "Adventure by Bike", and I have always felt any bike ride could turn into an adventure at any time.

Their bicycles reflect this, and it fits my style. Just like the days back when I would ply the paths down by the Cedar River on my single speed, coaster brake Huffy with 26 X 1 3/8ths tires, only now the bikes are way better tools for my poking around. They assist me in seeing what is down by the water's edge, what is over that next big hill, or what is just beyond the woods.

I suppose I could use anybody's bikes for this, but when the company has people that live and breathe the same things I do, it comes out in the products. So, a tip of the cycling cap to Salsa and the crew that made this stuff a reality.

Yeah- they aren't perfect, but nobody is. They just seem to keep pushing my buttons, and I am glad to be able to ride these rigs that fit me and my style really well.

Salsa: Three Flavors

I did a few rides over the past three days, and it wasn't until later that I realized they were all on Salsa Cycles bikes.

Disclaimer: Now, I have to explain that I have been a big fan of what Salsa Cycles has been doing in regards to ideas for bicycles for several years now, and each one of these bikes I have exemplify certain aspects of what excites me about riding bicycles. This may come off as a "fanboi" post, but it is what it is. I like these bikes. So, here we go- I'll give some commentary on each bike as I go....

Big Mama

Saturday it was the Big Mama that got the call. This rig isn't in production anymore. It has been replaced by the Horsethief, but the Big Mama is a solid rig that has a great balanced feel with the Manitou Tower fork up front.

I was rocking this bike at the camp's South side where conditions were bone dry and rock hard. Having all that suspension on tap made mincemeat of the trails, and I did two passes which left me feeling fine afterward. I wasn't rattled. I felt tired, but not beat up.

Not that those hidden roots and rocks under the leaves didn't try to rattle my cage, because they did. The combination of big Bontrager 29-4's and Big Mama suspension just smoothed it all over though. The Bontrager tires seem to be gripping well, and these would be a good tire for around here on the front of a rigid single speed, or as I have them- on a full suspension trail bike.

Mukluk

Sunday nearly got away from me before I found some time before the sun set to get away on my Salsa Cycles Mukluk. This could possibly be my favorite Salsa Cycles bike ever. I know it is high on the "fun factor".

The Mukluk and I have been heading over to the "lake-let", (overgrown pond?),  nearby the Guitar Ted Laboratories where there is a neat path around the lake. I was taking in some late Fall colors here, but what is really cool is that the water levels are down slightly.

This has exposed a lot of boggy, mossy, and sandy areas often covered in Red Cedar dead fall that I can now ride across on my Mukluk. Right on the water's edge, I can cruise along rather easily, for the most part, where there is no way I could even ride another bike at all. Probably not even walk on some of it without sinking through to my ankles in gooey mud. Those big Larry tires and 82mm wide Rolling Darryl rims just make this "impossible" terrain a possibility that is a ton of fun to be able to do.

The bonus here is that I didn't even tear up anything. In fact, I think I didn't even get any mud on the bike. Just got a bit wet is all. This is a low impact rig, that's for sure. I recently scored some Big Fat Larrys from Ben Witt that are even wider tires than what I have on this now. When those go on, the flotation level will go up a few more notches, taking me into even more normally unrideable territory. Fun? Are you kidding? This thing makes me grin on every ride I take it on.

Fargo Gen I

I just got the Fargo re-done. I used my Midge Bar I had in reserve, and set it up with different wheels and tires. Different stem with zero rise, and a tad shorter. New bar tape too. I rode it Monday to make sure everything was just right.

Ya know, I just got a new Fargo Gen II, and I am really stoked about that rig. It is going to tear up the single track when I get it ready, and I could even get a suspension fork on it when the going gets rough, but there is something about Gen I that I can't let go of.

I "bonded" with this bike almost immediately. Ever since I've had it, it just feels "right" every time I throw a leg over it. Like it was custom made just for me. Uncanny that. I've never had a feeling like that since I've had this bike around with any other bike I've ridden, and I've ridden a lot of different bikes.

Added to that is all the great rides I've had on this bike. Two Fargo Adventure Rides, numerous gravel rides, and even some single track rides. This bike has been all over the Mid-West with me. Night gravel rides and commuting. All those great memories. I plan on making many more with this bike.

Adventure By Bike

So yeah.....I like my Salsa bikes, but they have a similar philosophy that I have been cultivating since I was a kid back in my home town of Charles City, Iowa. They call it "Adventure by Bike", and I have always felt any bike ride could turn into an adventure at any time.

Their bicycles reflect this, and it fits my style. Just like the days back when I would ply the paths down by the Cedar River on my single speed, coaster brake Huffy with 26 X 1 3/8ths tires, only now the bikes are way better tools for my poking around. They assist me in seeing what is down by the water's edge, what is over that next big hill, or what is just beyond the woods.

I suppose I could use anybody's bikes for this, but when the company has people that live and breathe the same things I do, it comes out in the products. So, a tip of the cycling cap to Salsa and the crew that made this stuff a reality.

Yeah- they aren't perfect, but nobody is. They just seem to keep pushing my buttons, and I am glad to be able to ride these rigs that fit me and my style really well.