Interesting Random Bikes

Here's an assortment of stuff that's caught my eye recently.

First up is the integrated custom carbon awesomeness that Ergon put together for their team rider Irina Kalentieva for the Olympics and World Championships this year (from the Ergon fb page).  It's a an integrated bar/stem/barend/grip combo with special clamp mounts for her brakes, shifters and fork lockout already molded in.  There's also a cool integrated Ergon GS-shaped grip with some thin padding attached.  Nothing actually clamps around it- all of her controls have molded mounting points or are totally integrated into the design.  

Next up is the carbon Zaskar that Cecile Ravanel raced in the first Eliminator World Championship race.  Standard 26" wheels, singe ring up front with an MRP guide, dropper post and American Classic tubeless wheels.  Nice setup.

This one is from the roadie-centric slam that stem.  Not sure what's so captivating about this, but I really like the simple 1 x 10 drivetrain with the two color paint, Reba and Thomson post.  Looks understated and put together- not to mention fun to ride.

And since I put together my Moots Divide I've been checking to see how other guys are setting theirs up.  This one is a 26" wheel version built up by one welders at Moots as featured on their blog.  It's a pretty sweet and versatile setup with a Fox up front, wide Answer carbon bars and sweet matching Answer Rove XC stem.  This is the second one I've seen with a dropper post, and since it's a 30.9 you've got plenty of options including...

The new dropper post from Thomson.  This looks like the usual Thomson fare- well made, machined aluminum pieces that use their existing mounting bolt and clamp configuration.  I don't have a dropper post, and at this point I would wait for this one.

And that would be a cool addition for non-racing outings on my MX Divide.  It's pouring right now or I'd offer a better image than the shitty iphone/dishwasher shots featured here.  I'm still deciding on how I want to dress it up, and since Tomas just sent me the Race Space SDG kit it's now looking pretty dope in green and blue.  The new Moots kit is navy with some green accents so if I can stay on the program next season (please?) I'll likely run it like this.  I'm really digging it right now with the blue topcap, blue seatpost clamps and blue Pro-35 sticker next to the green/white saddle and very vogue green grips.

Here's another angle.

Time to Sack Up, Part 2

This week I've been working on polishing my form and getting ready for the Wilmington 100 on Sunday.  At one point I was shooting to qualify for Leadville on Sunday, but after a rough fall and winter I decided to scale back on that plan and just do the race for experience.

Of course polishing said form isn't quite going to plan, either.  During the warmup for last night's Catamount race I wondered how my back and hip would hold up, and as I warmed up a bit I tried to not let it consume my thoughts.

Remarkably I was able to get a good start and went into the woods following some good wheels and riding smoothly.  It was almost hard to believe, but I was holding my pace around corners and through the obstacles.  I was holding my own.  Whoa.

Halfway through lap 1 Grass Moots teammate George politely rolled by at which point I was wondering how the hell I'd managed to stay ahead of him for that long.  As lap 1 wound to a close Marc and Ross passed me and encouraged my effort.  I'm a familiar face at these races, just not with that group and not at that point in the race.

From there my pace slipped a little, but I was able to yo-yo with a consistent group of riders, and all-in I was riding the flat, technical course really, really well- way better than two weeks ago.

I ended up finishing five minutes behind my target, but within a very manageable three minutes there were quite a few riders that I'll be focusing on in the coming weeks.  The biggest change was really the focus on reading the trail.  That's not something I think I do as aggressively as I should, and really maintaining that focus for the full distance takes some discipline.  

My performance on a flat, twisty, bumpy and technical course is not predictive of how I'll do on Sunday's steep, long dirt road suffer fest, but I'm encouraged nonetheless.


I'll leave you with this picture of 2011 Leadville Winner Todd Wells' bike as he raced it on the day (jacked from Singletrack.com- how come nobody scalped that url before?)   

Review- Maxxis Ikon 29 x 2.2

Last summer I tested out a set of Maxxis Ikons in the 29 x 2.2 size.  After testing them on a variety of conditions they became my go-to tire.  

In some ways a 29er tire that's 2.2" wide and weighs 500 grams doesn't seem possible within the laws of physics.  Just a few years ago I was happy to run 26" tires that weighed 500 grams and were 2.0" wide.  Achieving that low weight for such a large tire is done through a low density, sticky rubber compound and a relatively thin sidewall and tread casing.

For most of the conditions around here that's a good compromise- the soil is usually soft, sharp rocks are minimal and the low mass helps on the frequent climbs.  There's a slightly heavier EXO model with reinforced sidewalls and that would definitely be a better option for areas with more rocks and frequent sidewall cuts.

The tread pattern is fairly small but aggressive, and the casing shape is square across the top.  That adds up to mean a fairly wide patch of rubber is in contact with the ground, and as the bike is leaned over the cornering knobs transition smoothly onto the trail.  The tread blocks are in slight chevron pattern so they don't all hit the ground at once (which increases rolling resistance and slows down forward progress), but there are enough of them spaced closely enough so that there's consistent bite.  

The treads are shallow to medium depth and moderately spaced as shown in the photos below.  It's not a tightly spaced hardpack pattern with low treadblocks like the Aspen or Small Block 8, nor is it a widely spaced lug/paddle pattern like the mud-specific Beaver.  The tread design and the squarish-casing make this tire very much aimed at the middle of the trail condition spectrum.

Most of the conditions I normally ride in would be considered intermediate- the ground is firm but not quite hardpack, and there are almost always some slick sections and thin mud.  In that environment the Ikon is very fast and predictable.  As the terrain gets muddier the Ikon really shines when you lower the air pressure a few PSI.  That holds true for most tires, but I found myself running these 2-4 PSI lower than my normal range and it made a huge difference when it came to cornering confidence and wet weather performance.  In general I've been running my 29er tires with slightly less pressure than comparable 26er models, and I think the additional width of the 2.2 casing makes the optimal pressure even lower.

When I did run this tire in dry conditions it worked pretty well but didn't quite roll as quickly as other options.  Last summer we had so few dry days that this was the option for me for pretty much every ride.  On one particularly rocky ride in Upstate New York I did get a cut through the tread casing, and it was big enough that it wouldn't seal up on the trail and I had to walk out of the woods.  In places like that the EXO casing would be a good investment and worth the weight penalty.

On wet, slick trails, these tires really shine as they're supple enough to conform to the terrain so the knobs can bite on wet roots and rocks.  In my mind that is a tough combination because the tall knobs on pure mud tires are too squirmy yet shallow or closely spaced treads quickly get packed with mud and are equally useless.

 

The sticky, low durometer eXCeption rubber adds to the wet weather performance, and although the increased grip is palpable they seem to wear remarkably well.  The pictures show the rear tire after three months of regular use and the knobs are still fairly sharp.   

Overall I would summarize these tires as very capable.  They're fast and stable throughout the spectrum of conditions, and although they may not be the best in pure hardpack or serious, sticky mud, they're predictable enough to be a great option if you're not sure what to expect or like to only run one set of tires.  These are definitely race tires, and accordingly their lightweight casing favors riders who go around rather than over trail obstacles.  

For more information visit the Maxxis website. 

Objects of My Attention

The untraditional winter we've been having has been well publicized, and it's made for some interesting conditions both on the road and the trail.  Skiing has been very hit-or-miss, and I've had days that are either awe-inspiring or completely humbling- sometimes even back to back.  Folks in other parts of the state have been able to ride right along in November-like temperatures and only mild accumulation of road grit.

Fortunately bike geekery is not weather dependent, so here is a sampling of some of the bikes that have been on my radar recently.  And no, I don't own any of them.  Yes, I wish I did.

The first in a trio of IF's is this Planet X Cross.  IF is known for their cool paint schemes and this is no exception, but what I find most interesting about this bike is the Campy build kit.  I can't tell from this image if the bike is Ti or steel or whether the gruppo is 10 or 11 speed, but regardless it's a cool setup.

This Ti Factory Deluxe is the sole mountain bike in this post, and yes I'm partial to titanium 29er hardtails.  This bike has a cool blend of new (Crank Brothers Cobalt wheels, ENVE cockpit, Ergons) and classic (ti, XTR) wrapped up in a simple but well-executed paint scheme.  Mountain bikes aren't often considered elegant, but I think this one might convince people otherwise.

The last of the IF's is my undoubted favorite- the Ti Factory Lightweight (all IF images from the Independent Fabrication blog).  Sure the paint is rad, but the innovative ti/carbon design makes the ISP seem relevant on a metal bike.  The stealth Campy Super Record 11 and Mavic SSC Carbones keep with the Ferrari-esque aesthetic.  No battery powered shifting here.

Not quite an ISP but still a high performance ti frame, this Hampsten Gran Paradiso is an update one of their long-running models.  The extended seat mast as a recent change within the last 18 months and I think it makes this bike more race-inspired.  Hampstens aren't widely used as race bikes and their geometry reflects that, but they're carving out a niche with the ever growing gran fondo crowd.  According to Steve Hampsten this bike as pictures tips the scales at 15.5 pounds with pedals so it's still more of a performance piece than a Porsche Panamera.

 

In some circles Australian custom builder Baum has started to make a name for themselves.  Their offerings are straightforward steel and titanium designs with remarkably eye catching paint work.  This one pictured above was featured on their website, and every single one of their bikes has a similar simple yet jaw dropping aesthetic.  Make sure you check out their Giro tribute bike from May of 2011.

Right now the weather for this weekend looks like it will be pleasant (for February), and with any luck I'll be able to get some more workouts in.  I did manage to reassemble the Race X Lite rear wheel bearings, but they aren't quite as smooth as they should be so it'll take some more tinkering before I feel comfortable riding them.

So for now, it's daydreaming during the week and keeping the matches dry for the weekend.

2012 Sponsor Announcement- Maxxis

Most things will be staying the same next year as far as my bike and equipment sponsors go, but I am going to be riding different tires.  For the 2012 season I will be racing and training on Maxxis.

Given my well-documented tire geekery I'm really excited to pour through the numerous width/compound/tread options that Maxxis has on offer.  I've been running the Ikon 29 x 2.2 since late summer and it's been great.  That tire with the Aspen and the Beaver, the 29er specific mud tire are going to make a great 3 option race quiver.  

I'd also like to thank Kenda for their support over the last three years.  They have been great to me and are a strong advocate for professional and amateur racing alike, and the Small Block 8 and Nevegal are among my favorite all time tires.