As you read this, I will most likely be cramped up to some unpleasant individual during one of three plane rides I get to take. It’s all good though, I’m headed west. It makes the few hours of inconvenience and discomfort much more bearable when you know that you will soon be soaking up the sun and singletrack.

And thanks to the miracle of modern technology, you’ll be able to follow along with my adventures on the facebooks and the twitters, I will post frequent updates and regular blog posts. And in case you missed it, we broadcast a discount coupon over those channels last night. That code is ICANWAIT , and gives you a 10% discount off catalog price for web orders. I’ll be hooked up to the internet and phone while I’m gone, so if you don’t see something that you are interested in, don’t hesitate to drop me an email, or leave a voice mail. I will get back to you.

Thanks, and I’ll see you on the other side…

I managed to get one more trundle in before the weather turned foul, and my trip to AZ, and this time, I was prepared. Ponte and I were going to re-attempt the ride I failed on so miserably last Sunday. We even left early enough to get prime conditions. It had been pretty warm since the last time I was out, so the snow had settled a bit, and the cold overnight temps had made for some good crusty conditions.

golden morning

We made our way up the Catamount Trail. It was full on golden hour, which was quite pleasant. The conditions were really good, there were lots of different tracks out there, snowshoes, skis, moose, and some weird bird that had huge feet. We made the climb up to Billings Rd with only a couple of breaks to catch our breath. The cold air can really take it out of you.

throwin' down the Gauntlet

I claim the first descent down the Gauntlet on a bike this year! This rock feature is quite nasty and has taken quite a bit of skin and blood from me over the years. It’s rocky, finny, ugly, and there is only one way down it. The price for failure is pain. Not today though!

Further down the trail we got to a well groomed snowmobile track and made our climb up to Peak A View. A moose had been up there post holing through the track, but our big tires floated right over the craters. As the sun was creeping up, the track was getting softer. Peak A View had been skied, there was a good pack on the trail, but because it is a little steeper and tighter there were a couple of sections that had to be walked.

almost to the top

the view I was looking for

Once we got to the top, we were rewarded with one of the nicest views you can ride to. I really like it up there. Coming down was really fun. I have to say that there is something exhilarating about descending with one of these bikes. They are somewhat cantankerous in nature. They don’t really like to change direction once they get going, and with uncertain snow firmness, there is an element of danger that is kinda fun.

Ponte droppin' in

We headed to Lauren’s Loop, an old school favorite of mine in the summer. There was only one set of ski tracks going down, so the pack was quite narrow. It didn’t stop us from riding the trail as fast as possible. It was the soft snow just to the left that stopped us, well, me anyway. I lost the front wheel and it dove away from me, my momentum took me over the bars at a high rate of speed. Ejection. I did a full flip in the air before landing down trail from my bike. Snow can provide a really soft landing, and I was very grateful for that.

eject!

After remounting, and several failed attempts to get going again, we decided to abort this trail, in favor of getting out of the woods before the sun made the snow too soft to stay on top of. We doubled back and took the snowmobile track back the way we came. It was mostly downhill, and extremely fun. We were out for about 2 hours, in perfect conditions, and it really made me glad that I didn’t buy a ski pass anywhere this winter. It’s been extremely bad for snowboarding (pouring rain right now), but very good for biking.

it's called the Bridges Trail for a reason

While I am very excited to ride in 70° weather, it is only a short reprieve from winter. At least I have something to look forward to upon my return. So many more trails to explore…

I have recently received a whole bunch of new rubber from our friends over at Schwalbe. They seem to be the only European tire company that can deliver a tire these days. The bad news, is that they can be quite pricey. The good news is, they make one heck of a tire. For my money, if I were buying my own tires (as a consumer) I would not bat an eye at the price on them. They are really really good tires.

Having undergone a rubber compound update early 2011, the once “so so” tires gained superstar status, at least as far as our local Waterbury crew is concerned. I’m sure the sentiment is echoed throughout the entire cycling community as well. The tread patterns have always been pretty dialed, but since riders are more commonly accepting the tubeless concept, ghetto or otherwise, the rubber compound can either make or break the tire. Schwalbe is a company that gives me the impression that they are paying attention to the needs of the market.

I’ll give you a snapshot of what I’m talking about  (29er tires only):

• Their first real MTN 29er tire in 2008(esque) is the Albert, a narrow but blocky tire, kinda heavy but durable. Hardish rubber.
• Racing Ralph, 2 sizes, big and bigger. Light, but also flimsy sidewalls left them prone to tearing.
• Snakeskin casing introduced to combat delicate sidewalls on the smaller Ralphs. Rubber is still kind of hard.
• Furious Fred makes an appearance. Pissing war for lightest 29er tire in full effect. Sadly, the tire is both fragile and completely impractical for most applications.
• Rocket Ron and Nobby Nic appear. Grr baby, very grr.
• Schwalbe runs out of tires late 2010, revamps rubber compound to triple durometer, AND classifies tires as “tubleless ready” which basically means approved for use with sealant.
• New tires show up, Ralphs in Snakeskin, the 2.4s, but the best selling 2.25s are nowhere to be found.
• Rons follow next.
• Nics available in 2.25 and 2.35. Can be run at redonkulously low pressures (16psi).
• Ice Spiker Pro comes out late 2011, 850g studded, tubeless ready, and high volume tires. Yes please.
• Finally my best selling tire to date, the 2.25 Racing Ralph shows up with a modified tread pattern and new Pace Star rubber, and tubeless ready of course.

Ralphie, you'll shoot your eye out!

Obviously reacting to a market recoiling against $85 mountainbike tires, they release the Rapid Rob, the old Ralph tread pattern in an affordable package (wire bead, old rubber compound, 750g).

And 2012, Hans Dampf. Where have you been all my life? 2.35, Snakeskin casing, 850g and Trails Star rubber.

mmmm new tires...

In the dead of winter, I can only imagine what the Dampf rides like, but having spent some quality time over the years on their offerings, I can safely say this might be my go to tire on my fun bikes. The new Nic was a sure favorite of mine. I’ve run every single one of these tires tubeless with Stan’s with no problems, except that some of the lighter Rons and Ralphs require a bit more sealant than their bigger brothers.

German for awesome

You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if they drop a tubeless ready 1200g fat bike tire on us at Interbike this year… just saying…

 

Or Episode V. I promised I would continue my METAL saga one day. Here is a day when I choose to do so. Now… where was I? Oh yes, my diatribe about why Maiden is better than Priest. I established my early and undying devotion to Eddie and the boys in my last post, so now it’s time to see where that path leads.

Not to take anything away from Priest, they were a talented band, and were every bit as METAL as Maiden. But I do have to say, that they have been around so long that they had a disco stage (Diamonds and Rust). How long have they been around? Well, I do believe they started out as hippies.

I first became aware of Priest around 1986, when Turbo Lover was their big song. It was pretty commercial by the standards of what I was listening to at the time. I’d been listening to Maiden, Motorhead, Dio, Metallica, and the synthesisers kinda made them sound a bit like, well, Bon Jovi. There, I said it.

I always found Rob Halford’s voice to be kind of painfully shrill too. It didn’t really match what the band was doing. I actually think King Diamond did a better job with this type of sound, and let’s face it, Painkiller is basically a rip off of Mercyful Fate’s work. The live show leaves a lot to be desired, lots of standing around, not a lot of interaction with the audience. Sure there might be some pyrotechnics there, but they only seem to be there to keep your interest. Go ahead, watch some youtube videos, I’m right. No giant Eddy stumbling about the stage anywhere. Occasional synchronized guitar rocking at best.

I firmly believe everybody has a right to make money, but to sell minivans? Sorry.

I’m sure the same arguments could be made about Maiden, but they can’t be substantiated. Maiden didn’t fall apart until after guitarist Adrian Smith left the band, followed by singer Bruce Dickinson. Priest have been falling apart since the 70s. But Maiden always sounded like Maiden. They evolved, but they never changed their approach to getting the rock to the audience. They’ve put on some of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. Best of All, Adrian and Bruce came back, and now they have 3 guitar players and a 60 foot Eddy that shoots fire out of his eyes and they fly to gigs on their own custom airliner. Talk about making it. No minivans in sight.

What ever you do, do not get me started on Those Bitches Formerly Known As Metallica.

 

In less than one week, I will be in Arizona. I can’t tell you how excited I am for this little break in the action. Winter here is rough, and even though it hasn’t been the worst winter I’ve ever experienced, I can safely say that a few days in the sun can go a long way to recharge the batteries. I’m flying a little bit by the seat of my pants this time, opting for a true cosmic wave experience. I think it’s good to have just a tiny bit of uncertainty in life, it keeps things interesting. I know that I’ll be among friends in a very beautiful place, and that’s all I really need.

I also did not pick the Gozarian for this little trip either, instead favoring the Spot Brand Rocker. As they were kind enough to send me the bike, I felt it’s the least I could do to ride it. I installed the new 30t rear sprocket and a quick tour-du-store told me I would enjoy the new gearing. I’m very much looking forward to getting more miles on the belt drive, and it will be even more fun to ride it on some unfamiliar (esque) terrain.

Since my last trip out west, I’ve pawned off all of my excess tires, which means that I get to try something new. I chose a set of the tubeless ready Syncros FLavor K tires, a low tread, fast roller that looks like it would be pretty good out in the desert. The sidewalls didn’t seem too flimsy, and I’ve had a few of these tires hanging around the shop ever since they were first released last summer. I mounted them, and they sealed right up using my super awesome Topeak floor pump, holding 30 psi overnight.



With a little luck, myself, the bike and all my gear will arrive in Tucson safe and sound. I’m itching to go ride without having to wear 3 layers of clothes.

I had my first trundle fail this weekend. I thought I was being smart and came prepared to deal with any would be trail issues by bringing my pump and a mini-tool on my ride on Sunday.

a nice day for a trundle

I had a free morning, and although it was cold (-15°), it was bluebird skies and it was supposed to warm up into the 20s. I wanted to try and climb up to Peak-a-View in Sterling Valley, because it was a nice day for pictures. Well, because I had slacked and waited too long before setting out, the sun had had some time to work on softening up the snowpack. The track was well defined and quite packed down, but I was punching through with increasing frequency which was only making me frustrated. I ended up letting some air out of the back tire, and it seemed to help.

I continued my trundle into the woods, where the shade had done a nice job of keeping the snowpack nice and firm. I began my ascent, and was encountering more and more sunny spots where the snow was getting soft. My front wheel didn’t seem to want to stay on track, so I figured I’d stop and let some air out of it.

Well, that was my mistake. As I unscrewed the dust cap, the valve core came with it and all the air whooshed out of the tube. Much cursing ensued. I had to get to my Camelbak, which was under my jacket (in my attempt to keep it from freezing) and wrestle with my pump. After about 10 minutes, my arms tired from filling the tire with air, I went on my merry way. It takes a really long time to fill one of these big tires even to something like 6-8psi.

About 5 more minutes down the trail, the tire was flat again. I was mad. Again I had to get my pump from my Camelback and deal with the valve core that simply was not interested in doing its job. After about 20 minutes, and 3 attempts at getting the tire to hold air, I had to pull the plug on my ride. The valve core kept coming out with the pump.

flat

Completely irate, I had to walk the bike out of the woods. At least i was only about a mile from the car. I think I was most upset about he fact that it was such a nice day. it was well into the 20s by the time I got back to the car, and it was quite glorious out. Oh well, I’ll hopefully have a nice run of weather in AZ next week…

I chalked this ride up to a new learning experience, the moral of the story being “don’t mess with your bike on trail”. If I hadn’t screwed around with my tires I probably would have had a much better ride. Also, I figured out that early mornings or late afternoons/evenings are probably better times to roll on the bike, it definitely helps to have a much firmer surface to trundle over. With temps in the mid 30s all week, I won’t be getting any more saddle time on the Trundleraptor until my return from the southwest. This means more trainer hours, and I even have a glimmer of hope that I can ride one of my bikes outside once the roads clear up.

 

So after my first ride on the Trundleraptor, I began formulating some opinions. It is certainly a very fun bike, it adds some versatility to my harem of other really fun bikes, and it brings it’s own set of strengths and weaknesses.

The biggest downfall of this bike is of course, the weight. It is a tank, but that is to be expected. The wheels are where most of the weight is locked up, it’s just the nature of this beast. The Rolling Darryls are among the lighter rims out there, the cut outs really save a significant amount of weight over the Large Marge. I opted to use SuperComp spokes to try and get a little more weight savings, but I still would up with a wheelset of 1350/1420. That’s just over 6lbs of wheels, not including tires. And guess what, those tires ain’t light either.

There are also not a lot of options for the specific components to these bikes at the moment, but that is changing. Only a few short years ago, there was only one choice for tires, the Endomorph. Now Surly has an array, and they even have a folding version of the Nate coming out. There are also more choices in frames and forks out there, so there is growth in this category. It will be interesting to see what there is for fat bike offerings in 2 years. It sorta reminds me of 29ers 6 years ago.

On the plus side, this bike is a total blast to ride. I really look forward to learning more about winter riding. If last year you told me I would anxiously be getting ready to go ride in sub zero temps, I would have accused you of being on crack.

My last thought, one that occurred to me while riding yesterday, is that no one uses Indiana Jones quotes. I think this is a shame. Sure Star Wars quotes are awesome, but Raiders of the Lost Ark is a veritable goldmine of quotables. I’m going to do what I can to rectify this.

How ironic it is that my first test ride of the Trundleraptor is at Stowe Town Loops? I guess it isn’t really too surprising, unless you factor into the fact that the trails are completely covered in snow. How fortunate that I was riding a snow bike…

heading in

First off, I have managed to misplace just about every piece of cold weather gear I own. Having moved twice in the last year, it’s not really much of a surprise. After some frantic digging around, I came up with what I considered a pretty sorry excuse for appropriate cold weather riding gear. A set of really baggy snowboarding long underwear, some Clouveil Schoeller soft shell pants, a DeFeet wool t-shirt, my Niner wool jersey, my Endura softshell jacket, 12″ Sockguy wool socks, Keen Summit County boots (super clunky but warm) and last and incredibly least, a pair of $12 flannel lined leather work gloves from the hardware store. Ambient air temp by the time I got into the woods was a solid 0° according to my car.

Town Loops sees a fair amount of snowshoe traffic in the winter time. Being centrally located to a bunch of hotels, it offers a nice alternative to the seasonal visitors that may not be skiers, or those that just need a break from the mountain. There are actually dedicated snowshoe loops, and many of them criss-cross the trails we ride on in the summer. I decided I would not interfere with the nice snowshoe trails, and stick to the MTB trails as best I could. It wasn’t too long before I was trudging up the first set of switchbacks to get into the woods. The cold air was searing my lungs, and I was not in a happy place. I was hacking, sputtering and worst of all not breathing well. I pressed on though, hoping that all this motion and violent chest convulsions would somehow keep me warm. It was only working a bit. My hands froze into claws almost immediately, but my body and feet seemed to be doing OK. I was hoping that if the rest of me was really warm, maybe it would eventually reach my hands.

no one here but me and the deer

I got to the main doubletrack which was nicely packed down. I hopped back on the bike and started pedaling again, and then I found that on the downhill, the windchill was something I wasn’t really ready for. Somehow, the sudden blast of frigid air equalized my body temp into something that was actually quite comfortable, besides the frozen paws. Through all of this, Seamus couldn’t believe how much fun he was having, he was bouncing through the woods in his little dog bliss. I turned off the main drag and headed onto the first section of singletrack, where I was the first set of (bike) tracks. The trail runs along the top of a ridge, and the snow was about 3″ deep. It was pretty tough going, but I managed to maintain traction, and enough leg speed to keep my momentum. At least for a little while. I made fresh tracks for a while, until I took my first opportunity to join the nearby packed down doubletrack, just to get a break.

As I passed under the power lines, I saw that there were a few options to go places that were packed down. My original plan had me riding the Town Loops though, and guess what? No tracks. Oh well, off I went, riding a lot more than I thought I would. I had to walk on some of the short climbs. Dismounting a snow bike is a little different on trail. When your foot touches the snow, it doesn’t stop until it reaches something that will support your weight. Let’s just say it was awkward, and sometimes a bit painful in the personal region. Getting going again was just as ungainly, but I found that with a quiet upper body, no sudden moves and deliberate power down, you can get going in almost any amount of snow (within reason). I reached the “top”  near where Charlie’s/Zogs comes back to the Loops having ridden a lot more than I expected, and then it was time to descend.

Wow. Slightly different, but easily adapted to. Being used to sliding down hills sideways on a snowboard definitely helped out. I have to say that I was beginning to have a really good time on the bike, despite the burning lungs, screaming quads and frozen claws. Shortly after the first downhill, the trail merged with one that was packed down and was going the way I wanted. By the time I reached the bridges, the one with the 3 humps in it, I was cooking right along. Until I hit the first hump, where I promptly exploded all over the trail. There was a lot of snow obscuring the actual bridge, and I misjudged the edge and plowed off to the left. Fortunately, my snowsports background has me quite used to hitting the ground at much higher speeds in much deeper snow, so laughing, I picked myself up, dusted off and kept on trundling.

The trails were pretty well packed until I got to the top loop (blue?), but the pack went to the left, I was headed to the right.

locals know where this is

I claim first descent of the year on a bike on the finny rock thing!

Then it was some more trudging/stumbling/riding until I got back to packed trails. I’m still amazed at what was possible to ride. The snow was a lot deeper back here, maybe 6″ or so. Had it not been for my pedals dragging in the snow, I feel I could have ridden much more of it. It had me wondering is 170mm cranks would have been a better choice… Still, back on the packed trail the bike was a dream. I really enjoyed anything that pointed down, and really had to reign it in in a couple of spots. The little red devil on my shoulder was telling me to jump off this tree and bink off that rock, it was so much fun.

bailing, this time not flailing

Alas, I was running out of time, which figures as my hands were beginning to get warm. It was time for me to head out of the woods, and since it was mostly downhill, I came back the way I went in. Well, obviously it was much faster, and I found myself back at the car in no time. My loop took me a little over an hour, but as always, these trails did not fail me. I have a much better understanding as to what is possible with these bikes, as well as a few ideas to set them up better for our terrain.

Like what?

See you tomorrow, Indiana Jones

You’ll have to check back tomorrow.

 

The real post will be up later today, after I have thawed my frozen my keister. I’m off on the MAIDEN voyage of the Trundleraptor, while the ambient temperature sits at a mere -8°.

Come back later, and I will tell you my tales and hopefully not include any pictures of frostbitten limbs.

Finally, after a two week build process, I have finished the assembly of the Trundleraptor. That is what I have decided to name this bike. I ended up having to order a crankset for a Moonlander, and substituted the spindle with one for a Pugsley. Somehow, I managed to make it all work the first time. Only a couple more months of winter, and I want to put some miles on this beast.

it's trundle-icious!

The result is a pretty fun machine, and one that I can’t wait to get all snowy. Amazingliy enough, after a brutal few days well below zero, it has started raining here. I’m not afeared though, this ought to help the snow pack down a bit for when it gets cold and stays that way during the day, which should be later in the week. My parking lot test ride was enough to let me know that the components will work well. The Nates seem to have a very tenacious grip, even on the icy pavement. They almost sounded like a studded car tire as they rolled along. I think they will do just fine on trail.

trundle-tastic even

The build out is as follows:

Large Pugs frame and fork, King headset, DT 370/Surly 135mm front hub laced to Rolling darryls with DT SuperComp spokes, Surly Nate tires, Thomson seatpost and stem, Ritchey 10D crabon flat bars, Avid Elixir CR brakes (185/160 rotors), Ergon GE1 grips, WTB Vigo saddle, Jagwire Rip Cord cables and housing, X-9 trigger shifters and mid cage rear derailleur, Shimano SLX E-type front derailleur, Surly Mr Whirly double offset cranks w/22-36  rings, 11-34 cassette, and my vintage KORE DH flat pedals that are about 15 years old.

All together, this bike comes in at an impressive 34.6lbs. I’ve got a flask cage on it for “warming” drinks, and I’ve also added a couple of Knog Frog silicone LED lights on the front for marker lights, and a Knog Beetle blinky on the back for a little extra visibility.

Now I get to learn about what to wear while using one of these machines. I have a pile of old softshell jackets and pants from my days as an apparel brand manager, which will hopefully come in handy. I’m very much looking forward to this process.