Secret Project Updates: Well, several of you are wondering what is up with these two rigs since I last posted that I had possession of the frame sets. Here's the latest scoop: #1 The Pofahl single speed was delayed for a time due to a miscue in the fork build. Seems the disc tab was a bit off making installation of a caliper not line up with the rotor just right. Hey, everybody makes a mistake now and then and I was willing to wait on another go at the fork. I received information that I should be seeing the completed fork soon. Very soon! Once the fork is here, I should have a crank set on the way and a saddle too. The Pofahl should tentatively be here and getting ridden by the end of the month. #2 The Badger will take longer. Money constrints will string this build out over the winter, most likely. Being a bike shop wrench has it's drawbacks and making money in the off season is one of them! However; the wheelset is being put together as we speak. More on that later.
Alternative Cycling News Source: I came across this site recently called Bike Radar. I would have to say it's the most "magazine" like site about cycling I have ever seen. Several layers of content including road racing news, mtb news, reviews, tips, and more. All with a British tint to it. Check it out and see what you think. It's a nice break from all of those flashing border ads on that other site.
Trek World This Weekend: The annual dealer only show in Madison Wisconsin is being held this weekend. I have a special photographer and reporter that will be there covering the event for me. Look for updates and photos of Trek, Bontrager, and Fisher products coming soon!
Team Stoopid Update: Well, the four man 12 hour team for the 24hrs of Seven Oaks is set. We're all riding rigid single speeds. Three Surlys and my Inbred. I guess I had to be different! Plus I'll probably be the only one on 29 inch wheels, so I'll really stand out. A meeting has been scheduled for sometime this weekend at an undisclosed location so we can concoct our plan of lunacy to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting endurance crowd this Labor Day weekend. I'll post more updates soon.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Thursday News and Views
Secret Project Updates: Well, several of you are wondering what is up with these two rigs since I last posted that I had possession of the frame sets. Here's the latest scoop: #1 The Pofahl single speed was delayed for a time due to a miscue in the fork build. Seems the disc tab was a bit off making installation of a caliper not line up with the rotor just right. Hey, everybody makes a mistake now and then and I was willing to wait on another go at the fork. I received information that I should be seeing the completed fork soon. Very soon! Once the fork is here, I should have a crank set on the way and a saddle too. The Pofahl should tentatively be here and getting ridden by the end of the month. #2 The Badger will take longer. Money constrints will string this build out over the winter, most likely. Being a bike shop wrench has it's drawbacks and making money in the off season is one of them! However; the wheelset is being put together as we speak. More on that later.
Alternative Cycling News Source: I came across this site recently called Bike Radar. I would have to say it's the most "magazine" like site about cycling I have ever seen. Several layers of content including road racing news, mtb news, reviews, tips, and more. All with a British tint to it. Check it out and see what you think. It's a nice break from all of those flashing border ads on that other site.
Trek World This Weekend: The annual dealer only show in Madison Wisconsin is being held this weekend. I have a special photographer and reporter that will be there covering the event for me. Look for updates and photos of Trek, Bontrager, and Fisher products coming soon!
Team Stoopid Update: Well, the four man 12 hour team for the 24hrs of Seven Oaks is set. We're all riding rigid single speeds. Three Surlys and my Inbred. I guess I had to be different! Plus I'll probably be the only one on 29 inch wheels, so I'll really stand out. A meeting has been scheduled for sometime this weekend at an undisclosed location so we can concoct our plan of lunacy to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting endurance crowd this Labor Day weekend. I'll post more updates soon.
Alternative Cycling News Source: I came across this site recently called Bike Radar. I would have to say it's the most "magazine" like site about cycling I have ever seen. Several layers of content including road racing news, mtb news, reviews, tips, and more. All with a British tint to it. Check it out and see what you think. It's a nice break from all of those flashing border ads on that other site.
Trek World This Weekend: The annual dealer only show in Madison Wisconsin is being held this weekend. I have a special photographer and reporter that will be there covering the event for me. Look for updates and photos of Trek, Bontrager, and Fisher products coming soon!
Team Stoopid Update: Well, the four man 12 hour team for the 24hrs of Seven Oaks is set. We're all riding rigid single speeds. Three Surlys and my Inbred. I guess I had to be different! Plus I'll probably be the only one on 29 inch wheels, so I'll really stand out. A meeting has been scheduled for sometime this weekend at an undisclosed location so we can concoct our plan of lunacy to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting endurance crowd this Labor Day weekend. I'll post more updates soon.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Steel Ressurected
I was thinking just the other day about the bikes we carry on the shop floor where I work the other day. The vast majority are aluminum framed bikes. Typically the steel framed ones are lower end, entry level type bikes with similarly sketchy components. Then it dawned on me. Steel frames have been brought back from the depths of ignominy by the advent of the 29"er.
Sure, you had your steel stalwarts out there brazing away in darkened corners of the cycling world, but take a look at the 29"er landscape today and you will find the vast majority of popular 29"ers are steel framed and some are even in bike shops again!
Obviously, the whole custom builder movement was an integral part of the rise of the 29"er and steel is the predominant material of choice amongst those builders. However; once the big manufacturers took notice and started to produce 29"ers too, you'd have thought that every single last one of them would have been aluminum. Why not? All the 26"ers are aluminum, or yes, carbon fiber. But we see a large number of steel framed bikes with big wheels coming out even today. I think it's cool, but it's also kind of odd at the same time.
Fisher was going down the path of having an all aluminum 29"er line up and really was about the only company that even did aluminum in 29"ers for awhile there when they up and did the Ferrous. (A rather clever name. ) Now that model is one of the most sought after 29"ers out there. A steel hard tail. In the 21st century? I never would have guessed it seven years ago.
Whatever it is that makes steel and 29"ers go together like white on rice, I hope it continues, since I'm a fan of steel frames.
Oh yeah....................and twenty nine inchers too!
Sure, you had your steel stalwarts out there brazing away in darkened corners of the cycling world, but take a look at the 29"er landscape today and you will find the vast majority of popular 29"ers are steel framed and some are even in bike shops again!
Obviously, the whole custom builder movement was an integral part of the rise of the 29"er and steel is the predominant material of choice amongst those builders. However; once the big manufacturers took notice and started to produce 29"ers too, you'd have thought that every single last one of them would have been aluminum. Why not? All the 26"ers are aluminum, or yes, carbon fiber. But we see a large number of steel framed bikes with big wheels coming out even today. I think it's cool, but it's also kind of odd at the same time.
Fisher was going down the path of having an all aluminum 29"er line up and really was about the only company that even did aluminum in 29"ers for awhile there when they up and did the Ferrous. (A rather clever name. ) Now that model is one of the most sought after 29"ers out there. A steel hard tail. In the 21st century? I never would have guessed it seven years ago.
Whatever it is that makes steel and 29"ers go together like white on rice, I hope it continues, since I'm a fan of steel frames.
Oh yeah....................and twenty nine inchers too!
Steel Ressurected
I was thinking just the other day about the bikes we carry on the shop floor where I work the other day. The vast majority are aluminum framed bikes. Typically the steel framed ones are lower end, entry level type bikes with similarly sketchy components. Then it dawned on me. Steel frames have been brought back from the depths of ignominy by the advent of the 29"er.
Sure, you had your steel stalwarts out there brazing away in darkened corners of the cycling world, but take a look at the 29"er landscape today and you will find the vast majority of popular 29"ers are steel framed and some are even in bike shops again!
Obviously, the whole custom builder movement was an integral part of the rise of the 29"er and steel is the predominant material of choice amongst those builders. However; once the big manufacturers took notice and started to produce 29"ers too, you'd have thought that every single last one of them would have been aluminum. Why not? All the 26"ers are aluminum, or yes, carbon fiber. But we see a large number of steel framed bikes with big wheels coming out even today. I think it's cool, but it's also kind of odd at the same time.
Fisher was going down the path of having an all aluminum 29"er line up and really was about the only company that even did aluminum in 29"ers for awhile there when they up and did the Ferrous. (A rather clever name. ) Now that model is one of the most sought after 29"ers out there. A steel hard tail. In the 21st century? I never would have guessed it seven years ago.
Whatever it is that makes steel and 29"ers go together like white on rice, I hope it continues, since I'm a fan of steel frames.
Oh yeah....................and twenty nine inchers too!
Sure, you had your steel stalwarts out there brazing away in darkened corners of the cycling world, but take a look at the 29"er landscape today and you will find the vast majority of popular 29"ers are steel framed and some are even in bike shops again!
Obviously, the whole custom builder movement was an integral part of the rise of the 29"er and steel is the predominant material of choice amongst those builders. However; once the big manufacturers took notice and started to produce 29"ers too, you'd have thought that every single last one of them would have been aluminum. Why not? All the 26"ers are aluminum, or yes, carbon fiber. But we see a large number of steel framed bikes with big wheels coming out even today. I think it's cool, but it's also kind of odd at the same time.
Fisher was going down the path of having an all aluminum 29"er line up and really was about the only company that even did aluminum in 29"ers for awhile there when they up and did the Ferrous. (A rather clever name. ) Now that model is one of the most sought after 29"ers out there. A steel hard tail. In the 21st century? I never would have guessed it seven years ago.
Whatever it is that makes steel and 29"ers go together like white on rice, I hope it continues, since I'm a fan of steel frames.
Oh yeah....................and twenty nine inchers too!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
A Frame Builders Saga Continues
Probably one of the most well known bicycle frame builders in the world, (Not just for his work, but for his dramatic life and most recently, lack of work), Matt Chester, or "mc" as he likes to refer to himself as, has re-emerged with typically understated dramatic flair.
Making his announcement at midnight Monday morning on his live journal page, it appears that Matt is going to rebate his old customers their money, and still build their frames. Great news if you've been a patient Matt Chester customer. (And those folks earn a high rank for patience, I might add) Their is still some typical mc weirdness going on; however, and as always it's cloaked in some mystery.
Making references to money problems, mental issues, and lifestyle changes, Matt leaves us with more questions than answers and then says he's moving to Canada! Ontario Canada to be specific. Well, I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise, since mc hasn't been a paragon of loyalty to one geographic location, and the fact that he mentions marriage and a "significant other" perhaps are clues to the shift.
So, you may be asking yourself, "why pay any attention at all to a frame builder that is somewhat on the flaky side" Fair enough. The thing is, for as many pitfalls and social dysfunctions that mc has gone through, the guy is an influential builder. He has specifically honed in on drop bars for off roading and has excellent historical perspective on the subject. He's just a wee bit talented and his aesthetic, while not everyone's cup of tea, is admired by many for it's functional austerity. Let's put it this way, if you are into bicycles and frame building, you probably have at least a passing respect for mc and his work. Well..........probably just for his work. (Although many can not seem to separate the man from his work on both sides of the aisle)
The naysayers will say he's running away across the border like a card burning draft dodger. I say, let's wait and see what happens. One things for sure, if mc is involved it will be an interesting tale, if nothing else. I know I'll be tuning in.
Making his announcement at midnight Monday morning on his live journal page, it appears that Matt is going to rebate his old customers their money, and still build their frames. Great news if you've been a patient Matt Chester customer. (And those folks earn a high rank for patience, I might add) Their is still some typical mc weirdness going on; however, and as always it's cloaked in some mystery.
Making references to money problems, mental issues, and lifestyle changes, Matt leaves us with more questions than answers and then says he's moving to Canada! Ontario Canada to be specific. Well, I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise, since mc hasn't been a paragon of loyalty to one geographic location, and the fact that he mentions marriage and a "significant other" perhaps are clues to the shift.
So, you may be asking yourself, "why pay any attention at all to a frame builder that is somewhat on the flaky side" Fair enough. The thing is, for as many pitfalls and social dysfunctions that mc has gone through, the guy is an influential builder. He has specifically honed in on drop bars for off roading and has excellent historical perspective on the subject. He's just a wee bit talented and his aesthetic, while not everyone's cup of tea, is admired by many for it's functional austerity. Let's put it this way, if you are into bicycles and frame building, you probably have at least a passing respect for mc and his work. Well..........probably just for his work. (Although many can not seem to separate the man from his work on both sides of the aisle)
The naysayers will say he's running away across the border like a card burning draft dodger. I say, let's wait and see what happens. One things for sure, if mc is involved it will be an interesting tale, if nothing else. I know I'll be tuning in.
A Frame Builders Saga Continues
Probably one of the most well known bicycle frame builders in the world, (Not just for his work, but for his dramatic life and most recently, lack of work), Matt Chester, or "mc" as he likes to refer to himself as, has re-emerged with typically understated dramatic flair.
Making his announcement at midnight Monday morning on his live journal page, it appears that Matt is going to rebate his old customers their money, and still build their frames. Great news if you've been a patient Matt Chester customer. (And those folks earn a high rank for patience, I might add) Their is still some typical mc weirdness going on; however, and as always it's cloaked in some mystery.
Making references to money problems, mental issues, and lifestyle changes, Matt leaves us with more questions than answers and then says he's moving to Canada! Ontario Canada to be specific. Well, I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise, since mc hasn't been a paragon of loyalty to one geographic location, and the fact that he mentions marriage and a "significant other" perhaps are clues to the shift.
So, you may be asking yourself, "why pay any attention at all to a frame builder that is somewhat on the flaky side" Fair enough. The thing is, for as many pitfalls and social dysfunctions that mc has gone through, the guy is an influential builder. He has specifically honed in on drop bars for off roading and has excellent historical perspective on the subject. He's just a wee bit talented and his aesthetic, while not everyone's cup of tea, is admired by many for it's functional austerity. Let's put it this way, if you are into bicycles and frame building, you probably have at least a passing respect for mc and his work. Well..........probably just for his work. (Although many can not seem to separate the man from his work on both sides of the aisle)
The naysayers will say he's running away across the border like a card burning draft dodger. I say, let's wait and see what happens. One things for sure, if mc is involved it will be an interesting tale, if nothing else. I know I'll be tuning in.
Making his announcement at midnight Monday morning on his live journal page, it appears that Matt is going to rebate his old customers their money, and still build their frames. Great news if you've been a patient Matt Chester customer. (And those folks earn a high rank for patience, I might add) Their is still some typical mc weirdness going on; however, and as always it's cloaked in some mystery.
Making references to money problems, mental issues, and lifestyle changes, Matt leaves us with more questions than answers and then says he's moving to Canada! Ontario Canada to be specific. Well, I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise, since mc hasn't been a paragon of loyalty to one geographic location, and the fact that he mentions marriage and a "significant other" perhaps are clues to the shift.
So, you may be asking yourself, "why pay any attention at all to a frame builder that is somewhat on the flaky side" Fair enough. The thing is, for as many pitfalls and social dysfunctions that mc has gone through, the guy is an influential builder. He has specifically honed in on drop bars for off roading and has excellent historical perspective on the subject. He's just a wee bit talented and his aesthetic, while not everyone's cup of tea, is admired by many for it's functional austerity. Let's put it this way, if you are into bicycles and frame building, you probably have at least a passing respect for mc and his work. Well..........probably just for his work. (Although many can not seem to separate the man from his work on both sides of the aisle)
The naysayers will say he's running away across the border like a card burning draft dodger. I say, let's wait and see what happens. One things for sure, if mc is involved it will be an interesting tale, if nothing else. I know I'll be tuning in.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Maintenance Break
Took the weekend off to maintenance some of the fleet here. The Dos had dried up clay all over it and I cleaned it up and inspected it. The drive train is going to need some attention. That clay/water/gravel slurry did a number on things!
The Raleigh also got some love over the weekend. Cleaned her up, cleaned the drive train and looked it over good. Looks like a bit of paint is missing here and there. I'll need to touch that up soon. Put on a new to me Salsa seat collar on it, (Thanks d.p.!) and it sure looks sweet! Red anodized and it makes me want to get a red ano head set now. Hmm.........that'll have to wait, but for now at least my seat height shouldn't be changing during rides!
Ahh, the maintenance break! I enjoy getting things back into tip-top working order again. It's a satisfying endeavor. It pays big dividends too. There is nothing like a nagging mechanical problem to harsh your shred. Like the Raleigh, for instance. It wouldn't shift into the "granny"ring. Turns out the front mech was slightly askew, making it next to impossible to drop the chain into that gear. Too bad I didn't fix it long ago, but then again I learned how to suffer in the middle ring because of it. Hmm.....maybe I shouldn't have fixed that!
The bikes are working better, and that's the main point. Looking great is a side benefit, as is finding potential problems before they knock you out of your groove on a ride. I know it's tough to stop having all of this fun while the warm weather is here, but taking those necessary maintenance steps can not only save you time out on the trail, save your ride, but in some instances may even save your hide! Take for instance my changing out front brake pads on the Inbred. I never knew it could stop so well! Might have saved me some skin there when I ride the four man 12 hour race coming up Labor Day weekend.
You never know!
The Raleigh also got some love over the weekend. Cleaned her up, cleaned the drive train and looked it over good. Looks like a bit of paint is missing here and there. I'll need to touch that up soon. Put on a new to me Salsa seat collar on it, (Thanks d.p.!) and it sure looks sweet! Red anodized and it makes me want to get a red ano head set now. Hmm.........that'll have to wait, but for now at least my seat height shouldn't be changing during rides!
Ahh, the maintenance break! I enjoy getting things back into tip-top working order again. It's a satisfying endeavor. It pays big dividends too. There is nothing like a nagging mechanical problem to harsh your shred. Like the Raleigh, for instance. It wouldn't shift into the "granny"ring. Turns out the front mech was slightly askew, making it next to impossible to drop the chain into that gear. Too bad I didn't fix it long ago, but then again I learned how to suffer in the middle ring because of it. Hmm.....maybe I shouldn't have fixed that!
The bikes are working better, and that's the main point. Looking great is a side benefit, as is finding potential problems before they knock you out of your groove on a ride. I know it's tough to stop having all of this fun while the warm weather is here, but taking those necessary maintenance steps can not only save you time out on the trail, save your ride, but in some instances may even save your hide! Take for instance my changing out front brake pads on the Inbred. I never knew it could stop so well! Might have saved me some skin there when I ride the four man 12 hour race coming up Labor Day weekend.
You never know!
Maintenance Break
Took the weekend off to maintenance some of the fleet here. The Dos had dried up clay all over it and I cleaned it up and inspected it. The drive train is going to need some attention. That clay/water/gravel slurry did a number on things!
The Raleigh also got some love over the weekend. Cleaned her up, cleaned the drive train and looked it over good. Looks like a bit of paint is missing here and there. I'll need to touch that up soon. Put on a new to me Salsa seat collar on it, (Thanks d.p.!) and it sure looks sweet! Red anodized and it makes me want to get a red ano head set now. Hmm.........that'll have to wait, but for now at least my seat height shouldn't be changing during rides!
Ahh, the maintenance break! I enjoy getting things back into tip-top working order again. It's a satisfying endeavor. It pays big dividends too. There is nothing like a nagging mechanical problem to harsh your shred. Like the Raleigh, for instance. It wouldn't shift into the "granny"ring. Turns out the front mech was slightly askew, making it next to impossible to drop the chain into that gear. Too bad I didn't fix it long ago, but then again I learned how to suffer in the middle ring because of it. Hmm.....maybe I shouldn't have fixed that!
The bikes are working better, and that's the main point. Looking great is a side benefit, as is finding potential problems before they knock you out of your groove on a ride. I know it's tough to stop having all of this fun while the warm weather is here, but taking those necessary maintenance steps can not only save you time out on the trail, save your ride, but in some instances may even save your hide! Take for instance my changing out front brake pads on the Inbred. I never knew it could stop so well! Might have saved me some skin there when I ride the four man 12 hour race coming up Labor Day weekend.
You never know!
The Raleigh also got some love over the weekend. Cleaned her up, cleaned the drive train and looked it over good. Looks like a bit of paint is missing here and there. I'll need to touch that up soon. Put on a new to me Salsa seat collar on it, (Thanks d.p.!) and it sure looks sweet! Red anodized and it makes me want to get a red ano head set now. Hmm.........that'll have to wait, but for now at least my seat height shouldn't be changing during rides!
Ahh, the maintenance break! I enjoy getting things back into tip-top working order again. It's a satisfying endeavor. It pays big dividends too. There is nothing like a nagging mechanical problem to harsh your shred. Like the Raleigh, for instance. It wouldn't shift into the "granny"ring. Turns out the front mech was slightly askew, making it next to impossible to drop the chain into that gear. Too bad I didn't fix it long ago, but then again I learned how to suffer in the middle ring because of it. Hmm.....maybe I shouldn't have fixed that!
The bikes are working better, and that's the main point. Looking great is a side benefit, as is finding potential problems before they knock you out of your groove on a ride. I know it's tough to stop having all of this fun while the warm weather is here, but taking those necessary maintenance steps can not only save you time out on the trail, save your ride, but in some instances may even save your hide! Take for instance my changing out front brake pads on the Inbred. I never knew it could stop so well! Might have saved me some skin there when I ride the four man 12 hour race coming up Labor Day weekend.
You never know!
Friday, August 10, 2007
Steering Committee
I have posted several times on the subject of steering geometry for 29"ers in the past. I recently got a question that I thought was a good one and I wanted to share that with you and my answer to it.
The question: What is wrong with companies that make 29"ers? Why has it taken so long for them to figure out how to make a 29"er steer well? (A bit of backround: The question was from a guy that loved the way a certain 26"er he has steers and he wanted to recreate that on his next 29"er)
Well, as I said, good question. The thing is that when "The Tire" hit the scene in '99, only a small hand full of builders were even playing with them. Since there was never a tire before the Nanoraptor that had the fat width, high volume, and large diameter it has, designers were left to theoretical designs that had to be trail tested before anyone would know what did or didn't work. One thing was obvious from the get go. The trail figure for a 29"er was bigger than that of a 26"er.
This soon was found to be a bit of a problem. That and the fact that head angles had to be kept in check to keep the toe overlap situation under control. The next item up for scrutiny was the fork offset, which if it could be lengthened would help reduce the trail figure and get some steering quickness back that is lost by going to a 29"er front wheel. Geometries were still in flux in the early days of this century and Gary Fisher 29"ers, the first modern era production 29"er bikes, were sporting a longer offset Marzocchi suspension fork, but still had some other issues holding it back from being a solution that mimicked 26"er handling. It was a step in the right direction though, and Gary wasn't through tweaking just yet either.
A couple of years later, the Surly posse entered into the 29"er production field with the Karate Monkey frame set. It also sported a somewhat longer fork offset. Still not quite "26"er-like", but then a lot of 29"er folk were skeptical that a 29"er should handle like a 26"er. Yet, as we have seen, new folks getting turned on to the big wheels didn't stop with the slightly longer offsets or with a small change in head angle.
It wasn't long before folks like Salsa, Intense, and a few others were found to be messing with head angles and offsets that would yeild a quicker turning bike. The head angle was an attractive solution, because getting a longer offset suspension fork would require a big time OE commitment to a fork manufacturer to make it happen. Trouble is, you can only go so far with the head angle schtick before you get into some serious troubles elsewhere.
In the meantime, two things happened that would change the landscape for 29"ers in a radical way. One was On One's Superlight fork. It had a 47mm offset, which was a huge change from "standard geometry" 38mm offset. The offset had the effect of bringing the trail figure down into 26"er territory and the resultant handling is very nice in a 29"er package. This was a groundbreaking move. The second thing was the move by Gary Fisher to bring this longer offset concept to suspension forks. Fisher did this for 26"ers too, which perhaps is even more radical, but the new G2 geometry package for 29"ers is a huge step towards solving once and for all the handling issues with 29"ers. Having convinced the suspension manufacturers to come up with 29"er forks with longer offset, Gary Fisher has helped to unleash a new era of 29"er geometry, especially front end geometry.
Now it's going to be fun to see where this goes from here. My bet is that once folks get to ride some of these new Fishers, or bikes with the new "super offset" forks, there will be a fundamental change in the perception of how 29"ers handle. No longer will they be said to be "slower handling" than 26"ers because this new steering geometry will take care of that old problem once and for all.
Until then, ride your bikes this weekend! The summer is about shot, so quit wastin' time!
The question: What is wrong with companies that make 29"ers? Why has it taken so long for them to figure out how to make a 29"er steer well? (A bit of backround: The question was from a guy that loved the way a certain 26"er he has steers and he wanted to recreate that on his next 29"er)
Well, as I said, good question. The thing is that when "The Tire" hit the scene in '99, only a small hand full of builders were even playing with them. Since there was never a tire before the Nanoraptor that had the fat width, high volume, and large diameter it has, designers were left to theoretical designs that had to be trail tested before anyone would know what did or didn't work. One thing was obvious from the get go. The trail figure for a 29"er was bigger than that of a 26"er.
This soon was found to be a bit of a problem. That and the fact that head angles had to be kept in check to keep the toe overlap situation under control. The next item up for scrutiny was the fork offset, which if it could be lengthened would help reduce the trail figure and get some steering quickness back that is lost by going to a 29"er front wheel. Geometries were still in flux in the early days of this century and Gary Fisher 29"ers, the first modern era production 29"er bikes, were sporting a longer offset Marzocchi suspension fork, but still had some other issues holding it back from being a solution that mimicked 26"er handling. It was a step in the right direction though, and Gary wasn't through tweaking just yet either.
A couple of years later, the Surly posse entered into the 29"er production field with the Karate Monkey frame set. It also sported a somewhat longer fork offset. Still not quite "26"er-like", but then a lot of 29"er folk were skeptical that a 29"er should handle like a 26"er. Yet, as we have seen, new folks getting turned on to the big wheels didn't stop with the slightly longer offsets or with a small change in head angle.
It wasn't long before folks like Salsa, Intense, and a few others were found to be messing with head angles and offsets that would yeild a quicker turning bike. The head angle was an attractive solution, because getting a longer offset suspension fork would require a big time OE commitment to a fork manufacturer to make it happen. Trouble is, you can only go so far with the head angle schtick before you get into some serious troubles elsewhere.
In the meantime, two things happened that would change the landscape for 29"ers in a radical way. One was On One's Superlight fork. It had a 47mm offset, which was a huge change from "standard geometry" 38mm offset. The offset had the effect of bringing the trail figure down into 26"er territory and the resultant handling is very nice in a 29"er package. This was a groundbreaking move. The second thing was the move by Gary Fisher to bring this longer offset concept to suspension forks. Fisher did this for 26"ers too, which perhaps is even more radical, but the new G2 geometry package for 29"ers is a huge step towards solving once and for all the handling issues with 29"ers. Having convinced the suspension manufacturers to come up with 29"er forks with longer offset, Gary Fisher has helped to unleash a new era of 29"er geometry, especially front end geometry.
Now it's going to be fun to see where this goes from here. My bet is that once folks get to ride some of these new Fishers, or bikes with the new "super offset" forks, there will be a fundamental change in the perception of how 29"ers handle. No longer will they be said to be "slower handling" than 26"ers because this new steering geometry will take care of that old problem once and for all.
Until then, ride your bikes this weekend! The summer is about shot, so quit wastin' time!
Steering Committee
I have posted several times on the subject of steering geometry for 29"ers in the past. I recently got a question that I thought was a good one and I wanted to share that with you and my answer to it.
The question: What is wrong with companies that make 29"ers? Why has it taken so long for them to figure out how to make a 29"er steer well? (A bit of backround: The question was from a guy that loved the way a certain 26"er he has steers and he wanted to recreate that on his next 29"er)
Well, as I said, good question. The thing is that when "The Tire" hit the scene in '99, only a small hand full of builders were even playing with them. Since there was never a tire before the Nanoraptor that had the fat width, high volume, and large diameter it has, designers were left to theoretical designs that had to be trail tested before anyone would know what did or didn't work. One thing was obvious from the get go. The trail figure for a 29"er was bigger than that of a 26"er.
This soon was found to be a bit of a problem. That and the fact that head angles had to be kept in check to keep the toe overlap situation under control. The next item up for scrutiny was the fork offset, which if it could be lengthened would help reduce the trail figure and get some steering quickness back that is lost by going to a 29"er front wheel. Geometries were still in flux in the early days of this century and Gary Fisher 29"ers, the first modern era production 29"er bikes, were sporting a longer offset Marzocchi suspension fork, but still had some other issues holding it back from being a solution that mimicked 26"er handling. It was a step in the right direction though, and Gary wasn't through tweaking just yet either.
A couple of years later, the Surly posse entered into the 29"er production field with the Karate Monkey frame set. It also sported a somewhat longer fork offset. Still not quite "26"er-like", but then a lot of 29"er folk were skeptical that a 29"er should handle like a 26"er. Yet, as we have seen, new folks getting turned on to the big wheels didn't stop with the slightly longer offsets or with a small change in head angle.
It wasn't long before folks like Salsa, Intense, and a few others were found to be messing with head angles and offsets that would yeild a quicker turning bike. The head angle was an attractive solution, because getting a longer offset suspension fork would require a big time OE commitment to a fork manufacturer to make it happen. Trouble is, you can only go so far with the head angle schtick before you get into some serious troubles elsewhere.
In the meantime, two things happened that would change the landscape for 29"ers in a radical way. One was On One's Superlight fork. It had a 47mm offset, which was a huge change from "standard geometry" 38mm offset. The offset had the effect of bringing the trail figure down into 26"er territory and the resultant handling is very nice in a 29"er package. This was a groundbreaking move. The second thing was the move by Gary Fisher to bring this longer offset concept to suspension forks. Fisher did this for 26"ers too, which perhaps is even more radical, but the new G2 geometry package for 29"ers is a huge step towards solving once and for all the handling issues with 29"ers. Having convinced the suspension manufacturers to come up with 29"er forks with longer offset, Gary Fisher has helped to unleash a new era of 29"er geometry, especially front end geometry.
Now it's going to be fun to see where this goes from here. My bet is that once folks get to ride some of these new Fishers, or bikes with the new "super offset" forks, there will be a fundamental change in the perception of how 29"ers handle. No longer will they be said to be "slower handling" than 26"ers because this new steering geometry will take care of that old problem once and for all.
Until then, ride your bikes this weekend! The summer is about shot, so quit wastin' time!
The question: What is wrong with companies that make 29"ers? Why has it taken so long for them to figure out how to make a 29"er steer well? (A bit of backround: The question was from a guy that loved the way a certain 26"er he has steers and he wanted to recreate that on his next 29"er)
Well, as I said, good question. The thing is that when "The Tire" hit the scene in '99, only a small hand full of builders were even playing with them. Since there was never a tire before the Nanoraptor that had the fat width, high volume, and large diameter it has, designers were left to theoretical designs that had to be trail tested before anyone would know what did or didn't work. One thing was obvious from the get go. The trail figure for a 29"er was bigger than that of a 26"er.
This soon was found to be a bit of a problem. That and the fact that head angles had to be kept in check to keep the toe overlap situation under control. The next item up for scrutiny was the fork offset, which if it could be lengthened would help reduce the trail figure and get some steering quickness back that is lost by going to a 29"er front wheel. Geometries were still in flux in the early days of this century and Gary Fisher 29"ers, the first modern era production 29"er bikes, were sporting a longer offset Marzocchi suspension fork, but still had some other issues holding it back from being a solution that mimicked 26"er handling. It was a step in the right direction though, and Gary wasn't through tweaking just yet either.
A couple of years later, the Surly posse entered into the 29"er production field with the Karate Monkey frame set. It also sported a somewhat longer fork offset. Still not quite "26"er-like", but then a lot of 29"er folk were skeptical that a 29"er should handle like a 26"er. Yet, as we have seen, new folks getting turned on to the big wheels didn't stop with the slightly longer offsets or with a small change in head angle.
It wasn't long before folks like Salsa, Intense, and a few others were found to be messing with head angles and offsets that would yeild a quicker turning bike. The head angle was an attractive solution, because getting a longer offset suspension fork would require a big time OE commitment to a fork manufacturer to make it happen. Trouble is, you can only go so far with the head angle schtick before you get into some serious troubles elsewhere.
In the meantime, two things happened that would change the landscape for 29"ers in a radical way. One was On One's Superlight fork. It had a 47mm offset, which was a huge change from "standard geometry" 38mm offset. The offset had the effect of bringing the trail figure down into 26"er territory and the resultant handling is very nice in a 29"er package. This was a groundbreaking move. The second thing was the move by Gary Fisher to bring this longer offset concept to suspension forks. Fisher did this for 26"ers too, which perhaps is even more radical, but the new G2 geometry package for 29"ers is a huge step towards solving once and for all the handling issues with 29"ers. Having convinced the suspension manufacturers to come up with 29"er forks with longer offset, Gary Fisher has helped to unleash a new era of 29"er geometry, especially front end geometry.
Now it's going to be fun to see where this goes from here. My bet is that once folks get to ride some of these new Fishers, or bikes with the new "super offset" forks, there will be a fundamental change in the perception of how 29"ers handle. No longer will they be said to be "slower handling" than 26"ers because this new steering geometry will take care of that old problem once and for all.
Until then, ride your bikes this weekend! The summer is about shot, so quit wastin' time!
Thursday, August 09, 2007
World's Solo 24 Title: Up For Grabs Or.......
I have read now in two places that World Solo 24 Champions Chris Eatough and Craig Gordon will not be at this years edition of the 24 Hours of Adrenaline Worlds. This is an interesting development on two levels.
Most obvious is that the World's will be a wide open event this year. It's anybodies event for the taking, and this may provoke several riders to attempt to take the coveted crown that has been monopolized by Chris Eatough for six years and now belongs to craig Gordon of Australia. With neither rider coming back, the event should spark some great competition..........or so you would think!
Interestingly enough, it seems that Chris Eatough had signed on to attend the event, but has since pulled out. Hmm.........very strange. Let's take a look at this, shall we?
It's a fact that almost every endurance nutcase out there regards Chris Eatough as "The Man" to shoot for anywhere he shows up. If you can defeat Chris, then it's a major feather in your cap. The thing is, the guy rarely loses, so it's a high bar to get over. I have heard on several occasions that "where ever Eatough goes, that's The World's". Maybe that's about to come true.
What if, (and this is total speculation) Chris Eatough and maybe even Craig Gordon show up at say.......oh, Moab, for instance. Let's say that promoter says it's a world championship. Then is that the World's? Seems to me that it's a distinct possibility.
Whatever goes down, it bears close scrutiny. I sense a change on the wind................
Most obvious is that the World's will be a wide open event this year. It's anybodies event for the taking, and this may provoke several riders to attempt to take the coveted crown that has been monopolized by Chris Eatough for six years and now belongs to craig Gordon of Australia. With neither rider coming back, the event should spark some great competition..........or so you would think!
Interestingly enough, it seems that Chris Eatough had signed on to attend the event, but has since pulled out. Hmm.........very strange. Let's take a look at this, shall we?
It's a fact that almost every endurance nutcase out there regards Chris Eatough as "The Man" to shoot for anywhere he shows up. If you can defeat Chris, then it's a major feather in your cap. The thing is, the guy rarely loses, so it's a high bar to get over. I have heard on several occasions that "where ever Eatough goes, that's The World's". Maybe that's about to come true.
What if, (and this is total speculation) Chris Eatough and maybe even Craig Gordon show up at say.......oh, Moab, for instance. Let's say that promoter says it's a world championship. Then is that the World's? Seems to me that it's a distinct possibility.
Whatever goes down, it bears close scrutiny. I sense a change on the wind................
World's Solo 24 Title: Up For Grabs Or.......
I have read now in two places that World Solo 24 Champions Chris Eatough and Craig Gordon will not be at this years edition of the 24 Hours of Adrenaline Worlds. This is an interesting development on two levels.
Most obvious is that the World's will be a wide open event this year. It's anybodies event for the taking, and this may provoke several riders to attempt to take the coveted crown that has been monopolized by Chris Eatough for six years and now belongs to craig Gordon of Australia. With neither rider coming back, the event should spark some great competition..........or so you would think!
Interestingly enough, it seems that Chris Eatough had signed on to attend the event, but has since pulled out. Hmm.........very strange. Let's take a look at this, shall we?
It's a fact that almost every endurance nutcase out there regards Chris Eatough as "The Man" to shoot for anywhere he shows up. If you can defeat Chris, then it's a major feather in your cap. The thing is, the guy rarely loses, so it's a high bar to get over. I have heard on several occasions that "where ever Eatough goes, that's The World's". Maybe that's about to come true.
What if, (and this is total speculation) Chris Eatough and maybe even Craig Gordon show up at say.......oh, Moab, for instance. Let's say that promoter says it's a world championship. Then is that the World's? Seems to me that it's a distinct possibility.
Whatever goes down, it bears close scrutiny. I sense a change on the wind................
Most obvious is that the World's will be a wide open event this year. It's anybodies event for the taking, and this may provoke several riders to attempt to take the coveted crown that has been monopolized by Chris Eatough for six years and now belongs to craig Gordon of Australia. With neither rider coming back, the event should spark some great competition..........or so you would think!
Interestingly enough, it seems that Chris Eatough had signed on to attend the event, but has since pulled out. Hmm.........very strange. Let's take a look at this, shall we?
It's a fact that almost every endurance nutcase out there regards Chris Eatough as "The Man" to shoot for anywhere he shows up. If you can defeat Chris, then it's a major feather in your cap. The thing is, the guy rarely loses, so it's a high bar to get over. I have heard on several occasions that "where ever Eatough goes, that's The World's". Maybe that's about to come true.
What if, (and this is total speculation) Chris Eatough and maybe even Craig Gordon show up at say.......oh, Moab, for instance. Let's say that promoter says it's a world championship. Then is that the World's? Seems to me that it's a distinct possibility.
Whatever goes down, it bears close scrutiny. I sense a change on the wind................
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Guitar Ted "Lube-Off": Update
As promised, I am going to update ya'all now on the lube competition I started earlier in the year. As long time readers may remember, I had three lubes: Pedros Chanj, Pro Link, and Dumonde Tech on three different bikes. Let's take a look and see if we can declare a winner here.
Pedros Chanj: This was the lube that I was running on my Haro Mary XC before I sold it about three weeks ago. The Chanj lube is biodegradable and is recommended for wetter conditions. I will say this, it works just as they state. I didn't care for this lube once the trails dried up. It collected way too much dirt on the chain and cogs for my tastes. When it was snowy and really wet though, it did great. Since it's such a limited use lube, in my opinion, I place it third in the rankings here.
Pro Link: This is the lube that I have been running on the Dos Niner, and if it weren't for the Dumonde Tech, this lube would win hands down. In fact, it's hard to say it's not better. What's not to like? You don't have to clean your chain before application, (you probably should anyway, but it does work this way) it doesn't collect much dirt at all, and keeps things running smoothly in a variety of conditions. The only time it failed was on the Guitar Ted Death Ride where we got mired in some sticky, peanut buttery clay which would have put most any lube I know of to shame. This stuff is good. I give it a second place plus, if you can say such a thing!
Dumonde Tech: Okay, obviously this one is the winner here. I think that this stuff is pretty amazing. I will say that if you follow the initial application instructions to a "T", you will have success. If you do not, this stuff won't work for you like it did for me. It's a pain, but it's well worth the extra effort, in my opinion. The good news is after the initial hoo-hah, the rest is cake. Just ride until you hear the chain getting noisy, and reapply. Now this is harder than it sounds, since that chain noise can gradually creep up on you, but this is what I did. This stuff went through rain storms, dirt, gravel, and more with the chain looking completely clean. Yes, completely clean. Amazing! I only had to reapply twice, and that's a good thing because that bottle is small. (Which does make it easy to tote with you on a long ride or vacation). This stuff wins by a nose, only because of it's stellar performance in many trail conditions. It loses points; however, for it's involved initial application procedure and it's not easy to find this stuff everywhere.
That about does it for now. I plan on picking up a couple more types of lube soon to pit against the Pro Link and Dumode Tech for further research into the most superior lube of all! Suggestions are welcome.
Pedros Chanj: This was the lube that I was running on my Haro Mary XC before I sold it about three weeks ago. The Chanj lube is biodegradable and is recommended for wetter conditions. I will say this, it works just as they state. I didn't care for this lube once the trails dried up. It collected way too much dirt on the chain and cogs for my tastes. When it was snowy and really wet though, it did great. Since it's such a limited use lube, in my opinion, I place it third in the rankings here.
Pro Link: This is the lube that I have been running on the Dos Niner, and if it weren't for the Dumonde Tech, this lube would win hands down. In fact, it's hard to say it's not better. What's not to like? You don't have to clean your chain before application, (you probably should anyway, but it does work this way) it doesn't collect much dirt at all, and keeps things running smoothly in a variety of conditions. The only time it failed was on the Guitar Ted Death Ride where we got mired in some sticky, peanut buttery clay which would have put most any lube I know of to shame. This stuff is good. I give it a second place plus, if you can say such a thing!
Dumonde Tech: Okay, obviously this one is the winner here. I think that this stuff is pretty amazing. I will say that if you follow the initial application instructions to a "T", you will have success. If you do not, this stuff won't work for you like it did for me. It's a pain, but it's well worth the extra effort, in my opinion. The good news is after the initial hoo-hah, the rest is cake. Just ride until you hear the chain getting noisy, and reapply. Now this is harder than it sounds, since that chain noise can gradually creep up on you, but this is what I did. This stuff went through rain storms, dirt, gravel, and more with the chain looking completely clean. Yes, completely clean. Amazing! I only had to reapply twice, and that's a good thing because that bottle is small. (Which does make it easy to tote with you on a long ride or vacation). This stuff wins by a nose, only because of it's stellar performance in many trail conditions. It loses points; however, for it's involved initial application procedure and it's not easy to find this stuff everywhere.
That about does it for now. I plan on picking up a couple more types of lube soon to pit against the Pro Link and Dumode Tech for further research into the most superior lube of all! Suggestions are welcome.
Guitar Ted "Lube-Off": Update
As promised, I am going to update ya'all now on the lube competition I started earlier in the year. As long time readers may remember, I had three lubes: Pedros Chanj, Pro Link, and Dumonde Tech on three different bikes. Let's take a look and see if we can declare a winner here.
Pedros Chanj: This was the lube that I was running on my Haro Mary XC before I sold it about three weeks ago. The Chanj lube is biodegradable and is recommended for wetter conditions. I will say this, it works just as they state. I didn't care for this lube once the trails dried up. It collected way too much dirt on the chain and cogs for my tastes. When it was snowy and really wet though, it did great. Since it's such a limited use lube, in my opinion, I place it third in the rankings here.
Pro Link: This is the lube that I have been running on the Dos Niner, and if it weren't for the Dumonde Tech, this lube would win hands down. In fact, it's hard to say it's not better. What's not to like? You don't have to clean your chain before application, (you probably should anyway, but it does work this way) it doesn't collect much dirt at all, and keeps things running smoothly in a variety of conditions. The only time it failed was on the Guitar Ted Death Ride where we got mired in some sticky, peanut buttery clay which would have put most any lube I know of to shame. This stuff is good. I give it a second place plus, if you can say such a thing!
Dumonde Tech: Okay, obviously this one is the winner here. I think that this stuff is pretty amazing. I will say that if you follow the initial application instructions to a "T", you will have success. If you do not, this stuff won't work for you like it did for me. It's a pain, but it's well worth the extra effort, in my opinion. The good news is after the initial hoo-hah, the rest is cake. Just ride until you hear the chain getting noisy, and reapply. Now this is harder than it sounds, since that chain noise can gradually creep up on you, but this is what I did. This stuff went through rain storms, dirt, gravel, and more with the chain looking completely clean. Yes, completely clean. Amazing! I only had to reapply twice, and that's a good thing because that bottle is small. (Which does make it easy to tote with you on a long ride or vacation). This stuff wins by a nose, only because of it's stellar performance in many trail conditions. It loses points; however, for it's involved initial application procedure and it's not easy to find this stuff everywhere.
That about does it for now. I plan on picking up a couple more types of lube soon to pit against the Pro Link and Dumode Tech for further research into the most superior lube of all! Suggestions are welcome.
Pedros Chanj: This was the lube that I was running on my Haro Mary XC before I sold it about three weeks ago. The Chanj lube is biodegradable and is recommended for wetter conditions. I will say this, it works just as they state. I didn't care for this lube once the trails dried up. It collected way too much dirt on the chain and cogs for my tastes. When it was snowy and really wet though, it did great. Since it's such a limited use lube, in my opinion, I place it third in the rankings here.
Pro Link: This is the lube that I have been running on the Dos Niner, and if it weren't for the Dumonde Tech, this lube would win hands down. In fact, it's hard to say it's not better. What's not to like? You don't have to clean your chain before application, (you probably should anyway, but it does work this way) it doesn't collect much dirt at all, and keeps things running smoothly in a variety of conditions. The only time it failed was on the Guitar Ted Death Ride where we got mired in some sticky, peanut buttery clay which would have put most any lube I know of to shame. This stuff is good. I give it a second place plus, if you can say such a thing!
Dumonde Tech: Okay, obviously this one is the winner here. I think that this stuff is pretty amazing. I will say that if you follow the initial application instructions to a "T", you will have success. If you do not, this stuff won't work for you like it did for me. It's a pain, but it's well worth the extra effort, in my opinion. The good news is after the initial hoo-hah, the rest is cake. Just ride until you hear the chain getting noisy, and reapply. Now this is harder than it sounds, since that chain noise can gradually creep up on you, but this is what I did. This stuff went through rain storms, dirt, gravel, and more with the chain looking completely clean. Yes, completely clean. Amazing! I only had to reapply twice, and that's a good thing because that bottle is small. (Which does make it easy to tote with you on a long ride or vacation). This stuff wins by a nose, only because of it's stellar performance in many trail conditions. It loses points; however, for it's involved initial application procedure and it's not easy to find this stuff everywhere.
That about does it for now. I plan on picking up a couple more types of lube soon to pit against the Pro Link and Dumode Tech for further research into the most superior lube of all! Suggestions are welcome.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Who Dunnit?
Awhile back there was this really cool thread on mtbr.com in regards to the history of the modern 29"er. Let me be the first to say this: It really doesn't make a hill of beans difference to me who actually made the first one. I'm just dang glad they did, because mountain biking is a whole lot more fun since the advent of 29"ers in my life. That said, it's fun and interesting to look at the lineage, say "wow", and then go for a ride with a better appreciation for what's rolling you down the trail.
It's fun and interesting in a perfect world, but we all know we don't live there. So the ensuing childish bickering and sniping which occurred on that thread resulted in one individual "taking his ball and going home" and leaving everyone else scratching their heads and shuffling on home. Nothin' ta see here anymore folks!
Enter Dirt Rag issue #130. In it there is an article called "The Big Wheel Mountain Bike Story". (Look for it soon in your mailbox or on news stands) The story is written by Don Cook, who runs the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in Crested Butte, Colorado. It just so happens that Crested Butte figures heavily in the evolution of the early mountainbike and in 29"ers as well. Long story made short: Mr. Cook lays claim to designing and having made the first 29"er, or "Big Wheel bike", as he calls them.
So what? Well, this whole tale printed in the latest issue of Dirt Rag is a whole different tune than what has been portrayed in the digi-realm of mtbr.com before. Most have layed the honor of "first" on Wes Williams of Willits Bikes, also in Crested Butte at the time. Wes had been making "28"ers", using Conti Goliath tires, and other fat 700c rubber for years prior to '99 when Cook claims that he rolled out the "first" 29"er, produced at Moots by Kent Eriksen on May 10th, 1999.
The thing is, as I see it, is "what is a 29"er". You see, Don and Wes supposedly got "The Tire" as a proto to fool with at approximately the same time. Wes took the path of modification. He just massaged existing 28"ers to accept the new fatty. (The Nanoraptor, in case you didn't know. It's commonly referred to as "The Tire", since it was the first 2 inch plus 700c off road tire ever made.)
Don took the path of ground up design, and worked with Moots to produce a YBB (A Moots model, which meant "why be brazed" in referance to it's soft tail design) 700c based off road bike that was designed around the new Nano prototype tire.
Everyone in Crested Butte knows that the modified 28"ers were the first to roll the Nanoraptors, but the first purpose built bike for those tires could arguably be said to be that Moots.
Who's right and who's wrong? Probably doesn't really matter, but it makes for some fine discussion.
It's fun and interesting in a perfect world, but we all know we don't live there. So the ensuing childish bickering and sniping which occurred on that thread resulted in one individual "taking his ball and going home" and leaving everyone else scratching their heads and shuffling on home. Nothin' ta see here anymore folks!
Enter Dirt Rag issue #130. In it there is an article called "The Big Wheel Mountain Bike Story". (Look for it soon in your mailbox or on news stands) The story is written by Don Cook, who runs the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in Crested Butte, Colorado. It just so happens that Crested Butte figures heavily in the evolution of the early mountainbike and in 29"ers as well. Long story made short: Mr. Cook lays claim to designing and having made the first 29"er, or "Big Wheel bike", as he calls them.
So what? Well, this whole tale printed in the latest issue of Dirt Rag is a whole different tune than what has been portrayed in the digi-realm of mtbr.com before. Most have layed the honor of "first" on Wes Williams of Willits Bikes, also in Crested Butte at the time. Wes had been making "28"ers", using Conti Goliath tires, and other fat 700c rubber for years prior to '99 when Cook claims that he rolled out the "first" 29"er, produced at Moots by Kent Eriksen on May 10th, 1999.
The thing is, as I see it, is "what is a 29"er". You see, Don and Wes supposedly got "The Tire" as a proto to fool with at approximately the same time. Wes took the path of modification. He just massaged existing 28"ers to accept the new fatty. (The Nanoraptor, in case you didn't know. It's commonly referred to as "The Tire", since it was the first 2 inch plus 700c off road tire ever made.)
Don took the path of ground up design, and worked with Moots to produce a YBB (A Moots model, which meant "why be brazed" in referance to it's soft tail design) 700c based off road bike that was designed around the new Nano prototype tire.
Everyone in Crested Butte knows that the modified 28"ers were the first to roll the Nanoraptors, but the first purpose built bike for those tires could arguably be said to be that Moots.
Who's right and who's wrong? Probably doesn't really matter, but it makes for some fine discussion.
Who Dunnit?
Awhile back there was this really cool thread on mtbr.com in regards to the history of the modern 29"er. Let me be the first to say this: It really doesn't make a hill of beans difference to me who actually made the first one. I'm just dang glad they did, because mountain biking is a whole lot more fun since the advent of 29"ers in my life. That said, it's fun and interesting to look at the lineage, say "wow", and then go for a ride with a better appreciation for what's rolling you down the trail.
It's fun and interesting in a perfect world, but we all know we don't live there. So the ensuing childish bickering and sniping which occurred on that thread resulted in one individual "taking his ball and going home" and leaving everyone else scratching their heads and shuffling on home. Nothin' ta see here anymore folks!
Enter Dirt Rag issue #130. In it there is an article called "The Big Wheel Mountain Bike Story". (Look for it soon in your mailbox or on news stands) The story is written by Don Cook, who runs the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in Crested Butte, Colorado. It just so happens that Crested Butte figures heavily in the evolution of the early mountainbike and in 29"ers as well. Long story made short: Mr. Cook lays claim to designing and having made the first 29"er, or "Big Wheel bike", as he calls them.
So what? Well, this whole tale printed in the latest issue of Dirt Rag is a whole different tune than what has been portrayed in the digi-realm of mtbr.com before. Most have layed the honor of "first" on Wes Williams of Willits Bikes, also in Crested Butte at the time. Wes had been making "28"ers", using Conti Goliath tires, and other fat 700c rubber for years prior to '99 when Cook claims that he rolled out the "first" 29"er, produced at Moots by Kent Eriksen on May 10th, 1999.
The thing is, as I see it, is "what is a 29"er". You see, Don and Wes supposedly got "The Tire" as a proto to fool with at approximately the same time. Wes took the path of modification. He just massaged existing 28"ers to accept the new fatty. (The Nanoraptor, in case you didn't know. It's commonly referred to as "The Tire", since it was the first 2 inch plus 700c off road tire ever made.)
Don took the path of ground up design, and worked with Moots to produce a YBB (A Moots model, which meant "why be brazed" in referance to it's soft tail design) 700c based off road bike that was designed around the new Nano prototype tire.
Everyone in Crested Butte knows that the modified 28"ers were the first to roll the Nanoraptors, but the first purpose built bike for those tires could arguably be said to be that Moots.
Who's right and who's wrong? Probably doesn't really matter, but it makes for some fine discussion.
It's fun and interesting in a perfect world, but we all know we don't live there. So the ensuing childish bickering and sniping which occurred on that thread resulted in one individual "taking his ball and going home" and leaving everyone else scratching their heads and shuffling on home. Nothin' ta see here anymore folks!
Enter Dirt Rag issue #130. In it there is an article called "The Big Wheel Mountain Bike Story". (Look for it soon in your mailbox or on news stands) The story is written by Don Cook, who runs the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in Crested Butte, Colorado. It just so happens that Crested Butte figures heavily in the evolution of the early mountainbike and in 29"ers as well. Long story made short: Mr. Cook lays claim to designing and having made the first 29"er, or "Big Wheel bike", as he calls them.
So what? Well, this whole tale printed in the latest issue of Dirt Rag is a whole different tune than what has been portrayed in the digi-realm of mtbr.com before. Most have layed the honor of "first" on Wes Williams of Willits Bikes, also in Crested Butte at the time. Wes had been making "28"ers", using Conti Goliath tires, and other fat 700c rubber for years prior to '99 when Cook claims that he rolled out the "first" 29"er, produced at Moots by Kent Eriksen on May 10th, 1999.
The thing is, as I see it, is "what is a 29"er". You see, Don and Wes supposedly got "The Tire" as a proto to fool with at approximately the same time. Wes took the path of modification. He just massaged existing 28"ers to accept the new fatty. (The Nanoraptor, in case you didn't know. It's commonly referred to as "The Tire", since it was the first 2 inch plus 700c off road tire ever made.)
Don took the path of ground up design, and worked with Moots to produce a YBB (A Moots model, which meant "why be brazed" in referance to it's soft tail design) 700c based off road bike that was designed around the new Nano prototype tire.
Everyone in Crested Butte knows that the modified 28"ers were the first to roll the Nanoraptors, but the first purpose built bike for those tires could arguably be said to be that Moots.
Who's right and who's wrong? Probably doesn't really matter, but it makes for some fine discussion.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Ride Report: GTDRI
This years Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational had a little bit of everything. Rain, wind, mud, soft gravel, a flat tire, beer, and........whiskey!
The day started for me at 4am in the morning on Saturday trying to get out of the house to make Marengo by 6am. I kept thinking I had it all in the car only to say "Doh!" and return for forgotten items. The last time I was two blocks from the house when I remembered that I forgot my cell phone and camera. Double Doh!!
I arrived with no further problems in Marengo by 5:55 am at Doose's Cafe'. I had driven through some fairly heavy rain, and I was wondering if anybody would show up besides David Pals, who helped plan the event. Once David showed up, Corey Heintz walks in with Matt Maxwell and Emily Broderson. After we had our breakfast nearly eaten, Paul Meyerman from Waterloo walks in. We had six folks in all. After a slow gearing up, we all pulled out of Marengo about 7:30am to hit the roads under a cloudy sky.
About the first 20 miles were dead flat riverside gravel. We rolled along together at a fairly quick pace, chatting and checking the skies now and again. After rolling through Belle Plaine the roads went up abruptly and the skies darkened. I got a bit worried because I knew that rain would turn the upcoming B road sections to mud rather quickly. I think David sensed the same thing and we upped the pace a bit in hopes that we would beat the rain out. Well..........we lost that race!
By the time we hit the second B section, it had been raining steadily for a good fifteen to twenty minutes, by far enough time to get us in trouble, and it did. First I went down at speed on a snotty, slick clay downhill. Surprised and shaken, but all right, I was about to get up when Paul rolled by cautiously and tumbled over right in front of me. We both got up and soldiered on to the next B road section, which was far worse. I started the downhill you see in the picture here and slowly came to a halt when mud packed up my wheels so bad that they wouldn't turn around any more. (Sound familiar you T.I.V2 vets?) We were resigned to walking that section with our bikes hoisted on our shoulders. Emily out did us all by getting about 50 yards further than any one else, but even she had to walk it. (By the way, I'm not even half way down the hill yet in that pic!) We had to walk up the other side of the hill, and then had another just like it afterwards, up and down a mile and a half. Mud was caked on our shoes to the point that each shoe weighed about five pounds a piece, added to the excess weight of the mud on our bikes. We were getting tired, it was raining heavily, and we were seeing lightning and hearing thunder the whole time. We decided to regroup at a shelter David and I had spotted two weeks before on the recon ride.
This little park area was right at the end of a long climb up out of the muddy B road section. Thank God! We were beat and needed a rest. The corn crib in the background of this photo was turned into a shelter house and we made good use of it. We decided to hang out for a bit and see if the rain was going to increase or decrease. We certainly didn't want to ride with lightning around either. In the meantime, Emily produced a flask of Wild Turkey that had "aged" in the back seat of her car a few days. I figured that you can't hardly ruin whiskey, even if the bottle had gotten cooked in a car, so we all had a swig. After some good laughs, we decided to cut off the loop through Montour because we were going to be short on time with all the walking and the gravel was saturated. The mushy spots lasted throughout the rest of the day, so this turned out to be a good decision. We lost about 22 miles of the route, cut out another potential muddy B road, but gained a lot of time.
Drive trains weren't too happy afterwards with mine wanting to spontaneously chain suck and Emily's 1 X 9 set up wanting to derail. We finally got it all under control and made it to the Casey's convenience store by noon. There we were quite the muddy, wet spectacles. Not as muddy as we were, courtesy of the continued rains, but still pretty gross. After refueling we got back on the gravel for the ride "home". The wind had come up which blew away the rain, but it was a head wind, of course, and was blowing about 25 miles an hour. We shivered as the rain soaked clothing dried on our bodies. After a misstep just outside of Toledo, we made it to the "Ridge Road" where I noticed we were getting all strung out, not riding together. I had to stop several times to let us regroup and to navigate. I didn't want to lose anybody out here. Emily passed around the flask a couple more times for "motivational purposes".
About 25 miles from the finish, I noticed I had a flat. (Gee, just like last year!) I pulled off and started to futz with my tubeless set up. For some reason, I couldn't seem to keep air in it, and then I saw that the valve was malfunctioning, so out came the ol' trusty tube. In the meantime, David busted out the beer he had bought and distributed amongst us. The rest of the crew stood and listened as Cory gave his "Ditch weed Sermonette" pictured here. (Just kidding!) Those guys sounded like they were having fun. Paul helped me out with a couple of CO2 carts, (Thanks Paul!) and we were back on the road.
By this time, I was getting tired, so I layed back a bit, but I still found myself in third wheel behind Matt and Cory, which if they were in the right position, could be smelled on the wind even at 100 yards! I suppose we all stank! Eventually Emily's whiskey ran out, and we were all literally running on fumes. We had been working the head winds pretty solid, but it was taking it's toll. The sun was peeking through, and the humidity was getting oppressive. Several times we stopped just to refuel and drink........water! David promised us that the last six miles or so had 2000 feet of climbing. I knew the last three miles were dead flat, so I figured these hills must be monsters. Well, they were! They didn't hold us back though, and I rolled into Marengo at 5:54 pm.
We all headed over to David's house and got some pizza and beers to celebrate. Good fellowship and good food was had by all, but eventually all must come to an end. I took my leave at 9:00pm and made the hour long drive home with thoughts of a long, tough day in the saddle running through my head.
Thanks go out to David Pals for his hard work and hosting the aftermath gathering, and to all the riders on this years GTDRI. I had a great time and got to know some folks I didn't know so well a bit better. Until next year...............
Ride Report: GTDRI
This years Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational had a little bit of everything. Rain, wind, mud, soft gravel, a flat tire, beer, and........whiskey!
The day started for me at 4am in the morning on Saturday trying to get out of the house to make Marengo by 6am. I kept thinking I had it all in the car only to say "Doh!" and return for forgotten items. The last time I was two blocks from the house when I remembered that I forgot my cell phone and camera. Double Doh!!
I arrived with no further problems in Marengo by 5:55 am at Doose's Cafe'. I had driven through some fairly heavy rain, and I was wondering if anybody would show up besides David Pals, who helped plan the event. Once David showed up, Corey Heintz walks in with Matt Maxwell and Emily Broderson. After we had our breakfast nearly eaten, Paul Meyerman from Waterloo walks in. We had six folks in all. After a slow gearing up, we all pulled out of Marengo about 7:30am to hit the roads under a cloudy sky.
About the first 20 miles were dead flat riverside gravel. We rolled along together at a fairly quick pace, chatting and checking the skies now and again. After rolling through Belle Plaine the roads went up abruptly and the skies darkened. I got a bit worried because I knew that rain would turn the upcoming B road sections to mud rather quickly. I think David sensed the same thing and we upped the pace a bit in hopes that we would beat the rain out. Well..........we lost that race!
By the time we hit the second B section, it had been raining steadily for a good fifteen to twenty minutes, by far enough time to get us in trouble, and it did. First I went down at speed on a snotty, slick clay downhill. Surprised and shaken, but all right, I was about to get up when Paul rolled by cautiously and tumbled over right in front of me. We both got up and soldiered on to the next B road section, which was far worse. I started the downhill you see in the picture here and slowly came to a halt when mud packed up my wheels so bad that they wouldn't turn around any more. (Sound familiar you T.I.V2 vets?) We were resigned to walking that section with our bikes hoisted on our shoulders. Emily out did us all by getting about 50 yards further than any one else, but even she had to walk it. (By the way, I'm not even half way down the hill yet in that pic!) We had to walk up the other side of the hill, and then had another just like it afterwards, up and down a mile and a half. Mud was caked on our shoes to the point that each shoe weighed about five pounds a piece, added to the excess weight of the mud on our bikes. We were getting tired, it was raining heavily, and we were seeing lightning and hearing thunder the whole time. We decided to regroup at a shelter David and I had spotted two weeks before on the recon ride.
This little park area was right at the end of a long climb up out of the muddy B road section. Thank God! We were beat and needed a rest. The corn crib in the background of this photo was turned into a shelter house and we made good use of it. We decided to hang out for a bit and see if the rain was going to increase or decrease. We certainly didn't want to ride with lightning around either. In the meantime, Emily produced a flask of Wild Turkey that had "aged" in the back seat of her car a few days. I figured that you can't hardly ruin whiskey, even if the bottle had gotten cooked in a car, so we all had a swig. After some good laughs, we decided to cut off the loop through Montour because we were going to be short on time with all the walking and the gravel was saturated. The mushy spots lasted throughout the rest of the day, so this turned out to be a good decision. We lost about 22 miles of the route, cut out another potential muddy B road, but gained a lot of time.
Drive trains weren't too happy afterwards with mine wanting to spontaneously chain suck and Emily's 1 X 9 set up wanting to derail. We finally got it all under control and made it to the Casey's convenience store by noon. There we were quite the muddy, wet spectacles. Not as muddy as we were, courtesy of the continued rains, but still pretty gross. After refueling we got back on the gravel for the ride "home". The wind had come up which blew away the rain, but it was a head wind, of course, and was blowing about 25 miles an hour. We shivered as the rain soaked clothing dried on our bodies. After a misstep just outside of Toledo, we made it to the "Ridge Road" where I noticed we were getting all strung out, not riding together. I had to stop several times to let us regroup and to navigate. I didn't want to lose anybody out here. Emily passed around the flask a couple more times for "motivational purposes".
About 25 miles from the finish, I noticed I had a flat. (Gee, just like last year!) I pulled off and started to futz with my tubeless set up. For some reason, I couldn't seem to keep air in it, and then I saw that the valve was malfunctioning, so out came the ol' trusty tube. In the meantime, David busted out the beer he had bought and distributed amongst us. The rest of the crew stood and listened as Cory gave his "Ditch weed Sermonette" pictured here. (Just kidding!) Those guys sounded like they were having fun. Paul helped me out with a couple of CO2 carts, (Thanks Paul!) and we were back on the road.
By this time, I was getting tired, so I layed back a bit, but I still found myself in third wheel behind Matt and Cory, which if they were in the right position, could be smelled on the wind even at 100 yards! I suppose we all stank! Eventually Emily's whiskey ran out, and we were all literally running on fumes. We had been working the head winds pretty solid, but it was taking it's toll. The sun was peeking through, and the humidity was getting oppressive. Several times we stopped just to refuel and drink........water! David promised us that the last six miles or so had 2000 feet of climbing. I knew the last three miles were dead flat, so I figured these hills must be monsters. Well, they were! They didn't hold us back though, and I rolled into Marengo at 5:54 pm.
We all headed over to David's house and got some pizza and beers to celebrate. Good fellowship and good food was had by all, but eventually all must come to an end. I took my leave at 9:00pm and made the hour long drive home with thoughts of a long, tough day in the saddle running through my head.
Thanks go out to David Pals for his hard work and hosting the aftermath gathering, and to all the riders on this years GTDRI. I had a great time and got to know some folks I didn't know so well a bit better. Until next year...............
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational: In The Bag
Awesome day on the bike with five other folks yesterday.
Very "Trasns Iowa V2-ish" conditions early on.
Included a whiskey drinkin' woman and beers on the road.
You missed a great ride!
Pictures and a full report will be coming, stay tuned!
Very "Trasns Iowa V2-ish" conditions early on.
Included a whiskey drinkin' woman and beers on the road.
You missed a great ride!
Pictures and a full report will be coming, stay tuned!
Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational: In The Bag
Awesome day on the bike with five other folks yesterday.
Very "Trasns Iowa V2-ish" conditions early on.
Included a whiskey drinkin' woman and beers on the road.
You missed a great ride!
Pictures and a full report will be coming, stay tuned!
Very "Trasns Iowa V2-ish" conditions early on.
Included a whiskey drinkin' woman and beers on the road.
You missed a great ride!
Pictures and a full report will be coming, stay tuned!
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