The magic ratio worked well for 3 races. Even starting with new hardware, by race #4 the chain started falling off . The magic ratio is supposed to let you run a single speed on a bike with vertical dropouts and no tensioning device. It works. Briefly. Here’s my temporary solution for last weekends race:
While it worked OK, it’s ugly, really ugly. I don’t do ugly, it must go.
New solution:
Zero magic and 100% purty!
With all the snow and freezing temperatures around here I thought I’d remind everyone what it looks like just a few hours away at lovely Gooseberry Mesa.
Brian and Ally were on hand to help layout the deck foundation for yurt #1. Yes, Brian, right there. Nothing like a little champagne to make sure things end up nice and square.
I always love seeing that people have their priorities straight. I’m pretty sure the bottom bracket on Brian’s Pereira is worth more than the car. Restores my faith in humanity.
In case you missed it and you happen to be stuck in the frozen part of Utah let me remind you once more that there isn’t any snow or cold of any kind just few hours away. Go on now.
As much as I love dessert I’d never make it as a baker, I’d have customers yelling at me non-stop. The pumpkin pie took me forever to finish. Although it’s edible, it’s not quite done.
I still need to mount the matching orange ODIS fork. This will however, more than suffice for Camp Lynda this weekend.
Yes, I like to show lots of post and I have long sexy legs.
More build details coming.
My legs have been an easy target for a daily dose of spider silk for the last couple of weeks. The cobwebs had wrapped themselves so tight around my thighs I could barely get my leg over my top tube today.
I started pedaling and could feel the effects of being off the bike for a couple of weeks. It took about an hour but the cobwebs slowly started breaking and falling away. It felt good, real good.
Riding my bike not only busted through the cobwebs on my legs it also cleaned out a few that had been accumulating in my grey matter.
Tonight after my ride I realized that I’m functioning better than I have for a while. My brain is clear, my legs feel good, my body invigorated, my fingernails are growing again and my eczema has all cleared up. I’m telling you, riding a bike is good medicine. Oh, and I’m writing a blog post. Riding a bike could be the end-all, be-all.
I’m going to ride every day this week. That’s my goal. It’s going to be a great week.
Here it is. The much hyped Spot brand belt drive mountain bike. Only it has a new name, it’s now known as the Sansabelt model. It’s compatible with a belt drive system but currently only works with a conventional chain setup. I noticed the design has changed from what i saw in pics from Interbike. This design seems too simple. A hacksaw cut in the dropout. I think Ill convert my bike into a belt drive tomorrow.
I told Kenny that he was lucky it was compatible with a regular chain and drive train because he’s never gonna see the the belt drive setup. He says Monday. We’ll see.
Belt drive system aside it is a very nice looking bike and Kenny made it up the hill and back down without the rear end falling apart. Which is more than dug can say.
I got out for 2.5 hours on the newly 69′d dork bike this morning. I rode to and from corner canyon which is about an hours worth of pavement and got in a about an hour and a half of dirt and mud and snow. Enough ride time and varied conditions to notice a few things.
Backing up a little; I have been riding the dork bike with a Surly 1×1 fork with a 26 inch wheel which made for a really steep front end. I got used to it and it never bothered me. After switching out the stock 1×1 fork for the custom 1×1 and the 29 inch wheel the front end now sits noticeably higher but I think the geometry is right where it would be if I had a suspension fork. It felt a little weird at first but by the end of the ride I didn’t notice the higher front end too much.
The climb up corner canyon hurt. I’m not sure if it was the hard gear I was pushing or the 69′d dork bike or that my legs are fatigued after multiple days in a row on the bike but I suffered. During the climb I blamed the big front wheel. So, I need more climbing time before I can say if it’s a climb worthy setup. Initial reaction is that it’s not ideal.
BTW, you can ride the corner canyon road all the way to the big switch backs near the top. I ended up doing it twice for good measure.
Pointing the dork bike downhill was a totally different story. It rolled downhill faster than anything I’ve been on in recent memory. I was shocked at how fast and smooth the bike felt on the downhill. It didn’t matter which line I picked or what I rolled over, the bike motored. However, it’s been a while since I’ve ridden my dedicated 29er WaltWorks so it could just be the big wheel out front that I’m not used to. Either way, I loved downhilling on it.
I just need to tweak the angle of the seat a bit and maybe flip the stem over to help compensate for the higher front end, that may make the difference on the climbs. If those tweaks help on the climbs this just may be the perfect setup. I’m excited to race it next month at the Cholla Challenge.
The evolution of the dork bike is taking place at a rapid pace. No waiting around millions of years to barely notice any changes in the minutiae. No, the dork bike changes are happening quick and are macrutiaeous. Check it out. I’m pretty sure it will be the next big thing in mountain biking if it already isn’t.
I haven’t ridden it yet but it is beauuutiful. You know you want one. I think I’m into it maybe $200 tops (beg, borrow or steal) and half that is in tires cause I gotta have the tubeless. I’m just geeky that way.
Jon Hanson hooked me up, once again, with a Surly 1×1 fork that he customized to fit rim brakes on a 29 inch wheel. I owe him big time. Yes, I am now running a 69er bike or 96er depending on how you like it. 29 inches up front with a 26 in the back. Mismatched brakes and now mismatched wheels.
I was going to debut it at ICUP#1 in St.George but I got the flu. Looks like It’ll have to wait till the Cholla Challenge next month unless something else comes up.
Viva el Dork Bike!
p.s. yes, that is mud from Camp Lynda 2 months ago.
I think I got more miles in this January than any other January to date. Even with the harsh winter we had in Northern Utah I still got in some extended weekends with long days of saddle time in Southern Utah and plenty of hours on the trainer while at home. I gave it all back in February.
Between my trip to Vietnam and being really sick most of last week I think I got on my bike a total of 3 times the entire month of February. I’m not complaining though, I did get that nice trip in and then I got to crew for my girls at the Rampage on Saturday.
They kicked ass. Tasha took 2nd in the women’s 35+ category and Kendra and Cassidy came in 1st and 2nd respectively in the girls 10-12 age group. I got to take care of them and cheer them on from the sidelines and take lots of pictures. That’s right, I didn’t race. I didn’t even take my bike so as not to be tempted.
I had a blast spectating for a change. I enjoyed watching the suffering as each racer headed out on another lap. Some with yellow rivers of snot flowing from nostrils to lips. I guess I wasn’t the only one getting over a cold or flu but my snot would have been green.
One of my favorite things about mountain bike races is re-connecting with old acquaintances that I’d label as best friends even though I tend to only run into them at the races. For example, Doug Rock. If there was an award for the nicest human being on planet earth it would be given to him annually. And then there’s Travis Brown. Ok, I just met him after the race but he chatted me with like we were old friends.
The usual people kicked the usual butt with one notable exception. Matt Ohran, who I can safely say I’ve been able to whoop on for the last number of years, must be on drugs. He stepped it up in the pro-class no less, taking 8th out of a huge pack. Surprised the hell outta me. Way to go Matt.
I had to borrow a camera as I left mine at home but here’s some of the better pics from the race.
I’ve not only seen it I’ve experienced it and you can too. It’ll change mountain biking forever.
Last week before Camp Lynda I was in need of some new rubber for the dork bike. My tires were bare down to the threads in places, had little cuts all over them and must be 10 years old.
Allow me to digress a bit. In committing to the dork bike this year I have also made some silent vows for the year. I haven’t mentioned them to anyone until now. I will only speak of one of the vows today. It is this: I vow not purchase anything for my bike all year. No new anything. No new shiny technology or bike part of any kind. I can, however, buy a new chain or tires as they wear out and the obvious tube or two. But that’s it. If I happen to break a seatpost or taco a rim I must beg, borrow or steal the replacement.
I stopped by Revolution and Ryan and Melissa hooked me me up with some Maxxis Monorail tubeless tires. Ryan even mounted them up for me on the spot, what service. Yep, I said tubeless tires. I am now running tubeless tires on the dork bike. It’s practically geeky which seems like it wouldn’t be in keeping the dork bike rules. I had to check my list (yes, I have a list) to make sure I wasn’t breaking any of the dork bike rules. Whaddya know, tubeless tires aren’t on the list anywhere.
Pic from Adam L.
What a revelation! Unbelievable! I’m a whole new mountain biker with new found skills. They roll over anything and corner like crazy and these babies are plush. I feel like I have a whole inch of travel front and rear. I must also say they make me feel like I’m cheating a little. I’ll never go back to tubes though. I’ve seen the future for me and it’s tubeless.
Perfect Christmas Eve Day. I realize it’s Christmas today but I’m running a day behind.
We yanked the kids outta bed this morning at 5 a.m. and went downtown to the Salt Lake Mission and brewed around 10 gallons of coffee for the people. If my girls learn nothing else from me they’ll have learned how to make some good coffee. An invaluable skill that should serve them well throughout their lives and ensure that they take good care of me when I’m too old to do it myself.
I then got out for a nice ride on the Monkey right before the cold front and big storm rolled in.
If you have a good eye you’ll notice the carbon post on the Monkey. At first you may think I’m geekin but really, what could be more dork than a carbon post on a 10 pound Monkey frame? And yes, those are disc brakes but they’re not hydros just cable actuated and 2nd hand at that.
More about Christmas Eve and Christmas a bit later and maybe some video if I can get those liability release forms signed.
Merry Christmas!
