Upgrades - Cake and Eating It

I didn't think it was actually possible, but I managed to find another upgrade to my RIP9.
I have been ecstatic with every change I have made to the bike, which I like to think is a good thing. I recognize it as progression.

It began with the fork upgrades, I went from the ubiquitous Reba, had a brief stint with a Maverick, then settled on the Fluid 135 from White Brothers. Not only did the fork feel great, it virtually eliminated a whole range of nitpicks I had with the bike.

Then, about a year ago, I took off the Juicy Carbon brakes and replaced them with the Avid Code brake. This was another good move, I could brake later into turns, and count on them grabbing hard when needed. For those that do not know, the Juicy is a 2 piston brake, perfectly adequate for all around riding, the Code is a 4 piston DH brake, which incidentally, are only about 42g more per side (non-rotational weight folks, totally acceptable) than the Juicy Carbon. Big kids take note - this is an upgrade worth considering. I'm still running the 180/165mm, front/rear rotor combo. Plenty of power.

With the new fork, I was beginning to really push the limits on my RIP. With the new brakes I was able to get away with a lot more.

Then I got a pair of the Ergon Enduro grips. Weird as they look, they make a huge difference to my paws, which would often get sore and beat up on rough downhills.

And now, just when I thought I had the bike all figured out, one of these found it's way on the bike.

For a long time I have poo-pooed the adjustable seatpost thing. 'Set and forget' and 'Run what ya brung' had always been my mottos, until about 4 hours ago.


This is the Crank Brothers Joplin post, a design licenced from the Maverick group. I can't see myself without this gadget on my RIP now. I was able to ride sections of trail so much faster, just because "the boys" were not in any danger. I have the Remote version of the post. The total travel range is about 3", which you can change at will with a weird, but cool and well thought out lever. You can literally adjust your saddle height within a few mm if you are talented enough.


But just imagine, if you could drop your saddle height 3" for just a few seconds on a trail, and then have it right back up for when you need to climb....

Oh yeah.

An unfortunate side effect for me, has been the amount of time I am no longer "on" the trail. With the family jewels safe, I can loft the bike higher up in the air without fear of retribution from the saddle. For the longest time, saddle height has kept my speed in check, but now, I'm beginning to find the limitations of the brakes....
...maybe time to get bigger rotors...

Why would you buy this post? If you are like me, you aren't getting any younger. My knees hurt from years of "splitting the difference". Our trails are technical, and have intermittent and sometimes long and technical climbs. I and others like me have set their saddle height in a spot where strong seated climbing is still possible, and out of the saddle BMX style flow through the flats and downhills can still be achieved.

Now, I can have the correct saddle height for climbing, and the right saddle height for wailing the crap out of my bike on the downhills! Woo Hoo!!!!!

The Spider Crawls Along...

So the next big decision to make was what fork to put on the bike. With everything out there, I had a hard time figuring out which way I wanted to go. In my mind, the Spider is a racy kind of bike, and needed some racy features. There are 3 forks that come to mind.

1. The ubiquitous Reba Race. The new updated Push-loc feature is really nice, and gives you that ability to lock the fork out for a hard slog out of the saddle without having to reach down.

2. The new kid on the block, the Fox F-29. It has a lockout, but it is a manual lock out, meaning you have to take your right hand off the handlebar to activate/deactivate it. But it does have some nifty features that make this totally OK.

3. The White Magic 110. White continues to improve the damper, and deliver it in a beautiful, clean package. The Magic uses a magnetic valve that negates the need for any type of lockout by determining where the force is coming from. Bumps from above (i.e.you) are ignored, while bumps from the ground are devoured. I own one of these forks, and love it.

These are 3 very legit choices for anyone who wants a trail bike they can also race. That is the prime directive of this build. It has to be able to handle it all.

Now, here is where it gets fun. Intense designed the Spider with a 73° head angle. For those that don't know, that is steep. Like a road bike steep. Steep = fast handling. There have been a lot of nay sayers about this number, in that fast handling = twitchy, but everyone that has ridden one of these bikes on trail agrees, it flys through the trees with the greatest of ease. I'm really sorry if you don't get to ride your bike through trees. It is fast handling though, but not twitchy.
You'll recall my experience on the 5.5 Proto, similar angles, similar kind of ride.

The really important number is the offset of the forks.
Offset is the perpendicular distance the axle sits in front of the center of steering axis (headtube line), while trail is the horizontal distance on the ground of the center of the tire's contact patch to where the center line of the steering axis hits the ground. Trail effectively is measured backwards because the axle's position over the ground "trails" the center line of the steering axis. Offset is the distance forward of the steering axis but on a different plane. As offset increases, trail decreases and handling becomes more responsive.

The Spider was designed with the Reba in mind, as Rock Shox was the only real 4" fork on the market for the longest time. The Reba has a 38mm offset. The new generation of forks (White, Fox and Manitou) live around 44mm. Quicker steering forks.

I'm not going to get into a diatribe about which is better, that's not what this post is about.

Let's think about the fork for a bit, while we move on...

Wheels.


Every once in a while, you find something that works. When that happens, I run with it. A prime example is the Royale wheelset. I put a LOT of these wheels under a lot of people, and not one person has been disappointed. While they aren't the ultra-lightest (around 1800g a set) they are durable, customizable, and made from the best stuff around. It's the very same wheelset I use, and if a 230lb guy like myself can't beat 'em up (and I try!), well...
So, yeah, Royales with the Arch rims.


Another component of this build, is that I would be "re-introducing" some components back into the wild where they belong. I have a pile of tires that would make you sick. But hey, if you were to call and ask me what I thought about any tire that's out there, I'd be able to answer you. Truthfully too.
My favorite all-rounder is the Bontrager Jones ACX TLR. I had a set laying about, so that's what I mounted. And I'll add that they aired up first time, and have not lost even 1 psi since Saturday.
How about that?

OK back to the fork.

I went with the Fox F-29, for 2 reasons (not really in order)
1. Cosmetic. It looks cool. I don't care who you are, if you were spending your hard earned dough on a bike, you'd want it to look cool.
2. Performance. I know from experience that the Fox is a stiffer platform than the Reba. The offset question was giving me some headaches, so I decided to add King's 5mm baseplate to the King headset (like you thought I'd put something else on there). This effectively slackens the head tube angle, or slows down the steering. We'll see how it rides soon.

While the White fork is the one I'd go with on my own personal bike, it is a little too tech for the average Joe to easily set up and enjoy properly, and as this is ultimately a demo bike, I want it to be as user friendly as possible. I'll be doing a shootout between the afore mentioned forks in the not too distant future, where I can really get into the nuts and bolts of these cool devices.


Up next, the components!

Ridiculite

Every once in a while, you get to build up something so indulgent, that you can't believe your eyes when you see the finished product. And sometimes, what comes out is something that I classify as Ridiculite. The parameters are simple, it must be light, beautiful and functional. It doesn't even necessarily need to be the lightest thing in the world, it needs to work. Basically, it needs to function in a way that requires minimal maintenance down the road. There is a certain company that makes components that are some of the lightest bits out there, but they barely last a season, especially here in our wet New England climate. They do not fall under the category of Ridiculite.

So what we have here is a Niner One 9, with a White Bros IMV fork and a LOT of carbon, including the new and ultra sexy Truvative Noir 1.1 crankset. Delicious!


The wheels are Royale SS clones, built by a competitor who shall remain nameless (for obvious reasons). Because I built the bike up, I had the opportunity do a thorough inspection of the wheels. And they needed it. They weren't as round as I thought they should be, and they weren't dished correctly. It kind of validated my own personal idiosyncratic competition for perfection a little, especially when I spend a lot of time battling one wheel to get it just right. I can literally loose my mind on some wheel builds, but I always win, no matter how late I have to stay up. And I was pleased to learn that these competitor's wheels cost more.

Anyway, the result is still the same. Lots of tongues hit the floor when I rolled this baby out.
Enjoy!

Long Term Update....White Brothers Fluid 110 Fork

Well, I've been on this fork for about 6 weeks now, and have loved every second I've spent on it.
Initially, it took me a few rides to get the settings exactly where I wanted them, but since then, it has treated me right.


The test sled is Kermit. Kermit started life as a rigid singlespeed, but has since evolved to suit my ever changing needs. Currently, it is a front sprung, 2x9 trail set up, with the newest component being the Fluid 110. It has really made a positive impact on the bike's overall handling.
Here are my findings

Construction:
White has always been known for their beautiful machine work. All of White's fork lowers consist of aluminum legs pressed into a CNC machined arch. The sliders are pressed into a CNC'd crown. The result is a stiff platform on which to build the forks around. There is also a 20mm thru-axle option for this fork.
The axle to crown measurement is 510mm, and weight is 3.97lbs.

Type:
The Fluid 110 is an air sprung fork. The left leg contains the spring, the right contains the damper. Spring preload is set via the schrader valve on the left leg.
Adjustments are compression, via the schrader valve on the top of the right leg, and rebound, found at the bottom of the right leg.
An oil bath at the bottom of each leg keeps everything well lubed.
Nice and easy.

The Damper:
One of the misleading things about the fork, is that it feels really stiff when you just push down on it. Compared to something like the Reba, it isn't buttery smooth. This is not something that you notice on the trail however. In fact, on the trail, I notice nothing. This is fantastic. I can get quite picky, especially if a component on the bike is not living up to my expectations. I always found the Reba to be a bit too plush, and sometimes my hands would take a beating.

Most forks have a shim stack, which controls the flow of oil through the damper circuit. Most of the time, these stacks are fixed to either the damper rod. Not so with this fork. The White's shim stack is coil sprung. The coil itself gives a degree of compression damping, but it can let a lot of oil trough the system when it's needed to. Confused? Think about a car's shocks. They are designed to handle everything from cracks to small potholes without changing the steering and handling characteristics.

The Set Up:
Once the main air chamber is set, you adjust the compression. Adding air to the damper will increase the overall spring rate. When I received the fork, I was given the recommendation that the damper should be around 10% of the spring rate, but I would need to fiddle with it to get it to feel the way I wanted to. I have my spring set at 70 psi, and my compression at 20 psi.
While it isn't even close to 10% of the spring, for my riding style, this works beautifully.

The Ride:
The Fluid does not have a lockout, and my riding style very "out of the saddle". I tend to stand fairly often, and drive the bike over rough terrain. A heavier compression adjustment helps keep the fork from bobbing all over the place from my body's input. I keep the air spring lighter, as our terrain features lots of repetitive bumps, roots, rocks that would bounce a heavier sprung fork out of it's intended line. It's a delicate balance.


Steering precision is on par with it's big brother, the Fluid 135. Relatively speaking, I'd say it's as stiff. It goes where pointed with no drama. There have been more than a few times where I have gotten myself hung up in some pretty precarious situations, where any move other than the right one would have meant an express ticket to the ground or worse. A yank on the bars put everything right, whereas when in similar situations riding the Reba, my fingers were always mentally crossed.

It's been a confidence inspiring experience. This fork gets 2 very big thumbs up from me.

Ongoing Review - White Bros Fluid 110

I can safely say that the White Brothers Fluid 110 fork is exceeding my expectations in every way.

Having spent a few rides fiddling and twiddling with the settings, I have finally found the settings that work for me. The ride is first rate. It goes where pointed without fuss, tracks true, and eats any sized bump and asks for more. What more could you want from a fork?


An observation I have on the fork, is that you will perceive that it is not very plush when you push down on it. It feels quite firm actually. For a while, it was causing me some concern, but I always seemed to forget about it once I started pedaling. Then I figured out, that if I didn't notice it while I was actually riding, it wasn't actually a problem. I decided to call White and get the lowdown. Turns out, it's by design. Plush forks react to everything, whereas stiffer forks, when valved appropriately, react to everything appropriately.

I'll get into the techno geek stuff in a later post.

Let me say this though. It works. And I am happy.
Worth every penny.


The ride shots are from this week out in Sterling Valley in Stowe. A fortuitous schedule change made it possible for Mandy and I to go out for a spin together. Conditions were late summer perfect. Not too many days left like that one. The trails we rode were technical, rooty, rocky and tight. A great place to test out a fork's capabilities. Due to time constraints, we were forced to bail early, not getting a chance to descend what we had climbed.


Still, any ride is a good ride, and boy do we have a doozy planned for Sunday.

We'll be hitting Bradbury Mountain in Maine. It promises to be a rockin' good time.

Happy Labor Day!

Pond Jump

This Sunday was the annual Stowe Mountain Bike Club Pond Jump Party. Held out in Sterling Valley in Stowe, the event is held to show appreciation to all those that help and maintain our local trails each year.

There are a lot of classic Stowe trails in the general area of Sterling Valley, Loren's Loop, Maple Run, Godstreet, Seamus, Tamarack, Tony's, you name it. most of the quintessential XC riding is found out here. It has been years since I have made my way up there to play.
Before we moved away to the west coast, we were making the big drive from Burlington at least once a week. Some really good memories. It was out there that I met and rode with one of the world's most influential snowboarders, Craig Kelly. Craig died in an avalanche 2003 in British Columbia, doing what he loved most.


The party was a ton of fun. There were a couple of brave souls who launched the big ramp into the pond. There was a massive Weber charcoal grill, and tons of burgers and dogs, a keg, dogs, bikes, kids, as well as club members. I saw a few folks that I haven't seen in a long time. I am more determined than ever to get out the the Valley and ride again.


We took the opportunity to ride back to town from the pond, hitting a couple of trail along the way. It was mostly downhill, so we were able to rip down with a great deal of speed. The light was perfect. Every growing thing is lush right now. The cooler weather we are having right now is the trigger for every tree and plant to grow as much as they can before it gets really cold for a long period of time. Some of the weaker maples have called it quits already. Fall is coming.
The sense of urgency to get as much riding in as possible is reaching a fever pitch.

I got a good ride in on the Fluid 110. I am really pleased with the overall feel and performance of the fork. I still have some fine fiddling around to do with the air pressure settings, but I am pretty close to having it dialed in. White states that it may take up to 10 or more hours for the fork to break in, but I detect no stiction on the legs whatsoever. I can't wait to get more time on it.

Fluid Dynamics

Sunday marked the last big ride before setting out for my 110 mile charity ride this Saturday. I needed to see if the booty could handle a long day in the saddle. The ride took us around Mt Mansfield, Vermont's tallest peak (4393 ft), a total distance of 65 miles, with 4300 ft of elevation gain, 2300 of it in the first 16 miles. The Primero handled it with aplomb.

Me? I'm still a little sore, but I attribute that with the ride, plus about 10 hours of installing wood floors in the house. Most of yesterday was spent on my hands and knees pounding nails into the floor.

Despite the rainy weather and hard manual labor, a bright ray of sunshine shone through the clouds in the form of this:


It's the new White Brothers Fluid 110. Oh yeah, that's right, 110mm of handmade in the USA suspension.

It's the same damper assembly that has gotten me all giggly as the Fluid 135 that's on my RIP, but in an All Mountain/XC friendly format with quick release lowers.
Out of the box, the fork weighs a respectable 3.97lbs, and has an axle to crown length of 510mm.

You can bet that a performance review will be coming shortly...

First Impressions - White Brothers Fluid 135

Wow. Pretty much sums it up right there. Rarely will a single component change affect the entire feel of a bike, but this one does. It actually improves the way the RIP rides, to a level that I had been looking for since I first threw my leg over 'ol Blue.








The Details
The White is a coil sprung fork, with an air compression assist and oil damped rebound. It has beautifully machined lowers with a leading 20mm axle. It is pretty. It weighs in at 4.68lbs with an uncut steerer. I measured 128mm of actual travel, which is right on par, as White measures the 10mm bottom out bumper as part of the travel, even though you don't really get that travel.
More on that in a bit.

Installation
I thought for sure that removing the Maverick was going to be a nightmare. Fortunately, it came quietly. The Chris King front hub was easily converted from the 24mm Maverick axle to a standard 20mm thru axle, the hub shell is the same, and axles are interchangeable. I had to re-dish the wheel to center it in the fork.
I also needed to space the brake caliper over 5mm to center the rotor, I used 5mm chainring spacers, and some longer bolts. It was a snap.

Parking Lot Test Ride
The front end of the RIP now sits quite a lot higher. With my Reba, I used a 100 x 10° stem, the Maverick had it's own direct mount 95mm stem, and with this set up, I'm using a 90 x 10° stem (it's what I had). This new shorter cockpit actually turns out to work for me. Quite well.
I found while bouncing around that I was compressing the fork I was kissing the bottom of the crown with the tire. That's how I knew how much travel I was getting...
I pumped the air assist up to 95 psi, which seemed to cure it.

First Real Ride
Thursday is our Five Hills Bikes shop ride night, and what a perfect venue for seeing what the fork is capable of.
The climb up is pretty stiff, we gain 900ft in 3.5 miles, but it is paved, so it goes pretty quick. I noticed right away how slack the RIP now sits. While climbing prowess was not affected too terribly, it wasn't as comfortable as the lower front end of the Maverick. Out of the saddle climbing was much better though, as long as you kept your upper body still.

We did 6 Flags, followed by Joe's, which are by far, my favorite trails. This is where the bike began to shine like it never had before.
Handling was greatly improved, despite the slackened angles. I was able to rip through turns that always used to slow me down. The front end is STIFF. in fact, it is a lot more stiff than the Maverick, which I found to be pretty darn stiff. Tracking is amazing.

Well, all this adds up to added confidence, which in turn adds up to changing the line you ride. I decided to open things up a little. I was gliding over parts of the trail that used to rattle me. I was missing some sections of the trail all together, which is when I found that the air I put in the assist chamber may not have been enough. I buzzed the tire a couple of times coming while landing. From that point, I minimized my airborne time, until I can get a call in to White today.
Everything else was amazing.

The higher front end raised the lowish BB to a point where pedal strike was greatly reduced. I think that this may be why I was able to ride so fast through certain sections that gave me trouble before. I only clobbered the ground twice, which I would deem acceptable in the situations I was in.

Nit Picks
The front axle can be pretty tricky when trying to mount it to a roof rack. Because of the thru axle, an adapter is needed. My Topeak Alien is not the best tool for getting the job done, so I will be installing a "car 5". A small price to pay for the performance gain.
The fork has a fair amount of stiction, but White states that it takes about 10 hours of use before it breaks in. We'll check back on that later.

Verdict
It's a keeper. I have a ride planned on Snake on Sunday, which is where it will receive some serious abuse. I think this may actually make riding there fun...

The Next Installment

The new kid on the block is the White Brothers Fluid 135, now adorning the RIP9. I'm pretty excited about this fork. I measured an actual travel of 128mm, which already eclipses the Maverick's 119. The penalty is about 1/2 lb though, but it's a compromise I'm willing to make. It weighs in at 4.6lbs. It also brings the front of the bike slightly higher. The at rest BB height is now a smidge over 13.5". Will it be enough? We'll see tonight, when the Maiden voyage is planned. Any local readers are encouraged to join in. Call the shop for details, we'll be on "The Hill" tonight.



There was a good turn out at last night's race at Catamount. I rode Kermit, which also was sporting a new shiny black fork, the White Brothers Magic 100. I have had a little experience with the fork last year, and once I learned that the course would be in the woods, I needed to shed the rigid fork. The Magic weighs in at 3.98lbs with an uncut steerer. From what I can tell, the handling was not compromised in any way. I rode as fast as my gearing would let me (35-21), and finished my three laps in just over 50 minutes. I was 28 out of 40 in my race.
Look for a detailed review on the Magic in the coming weeks. It's staying on the bike, and I'm changing my gears...