BBs: Headed back inside...

External bearing bottom brackets are a great idea. While some bikes may see a slight increase

in Q-factor, the design's simplicity, increase in stiffness, bearing size and decrease in weight are huge advantages. Now, companies such as Trek, Pivot and Ibis are taking the idea one step further and integrating the oversized bearings into an integrated headset-style system. While we haven't seen an official name or standard (a la ISIS), we're big fans of the idea. 90mm BB shells allow for more flexibility in BB configuration as well as greater weld area for chainstays, down tubes and seat tubes. As a bonus, Trek figure that the configuration saves about 40g.

Today, we see that Travis Brown's 69'er has a beautifully-executed version. We'd imagine that we'll be seeing more and more of this design over the next couple of years...

bikemagic.com
trekbikes.com
pivotcycles.com

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F/S 29ers? People seem to like them...

After this month's very positive Dirt Rag review of Niner's R.I.P 9 full suspension platform has been well received by BikeRadar here. They reckon it's a bit flexy laterally, but viable as an all day, 'marathon' style ride. Having ridden and owned rigid 29ers, and being big proponents of full suspension, we'd like to get the two together and see what happens. What Niner, or any other 29er-invested company, should do is offer a demo program to get people off the fence... Just our 2 cents...

bikeradar

Niner bikes

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bikefix Exclusive Review: Craft Tempest Glove

Yesterday, we had a look at Scandinavian clothing company's coldest-weather cycling glove, the Siberian. Today, seeing as we're thinking about gloves (and it's still frickin' cold out), we're going to have a look at their cool-weather Tempest glove. We've been using the Tempests for about a year (weather permitting) and while they've changed for 2007/8, it's not by much.

Good for temperatures from about 55 down to 40 or so (maybe a little bit lower off road), the Tempest uses a wind- and water-proof, breathable fabric for the body of the glove. textured Clarino synthetic leather reinforces the palm and first two fingers as well as the thumb crotch- the part of your hand that straddles the brake hood on a road bike. The terry thumb is not as wind resistant as the rest of the glove, but still backed with something to keep the breeze out, and the stretchy knit wrist doesn't have any additional closure. There's a reflective Craft logo on the index finger (it's been moved to the middle finger for '07/08) because every little bit helps.

That's about it. As a cool-weather glove, the Tempest does a very good job of keeping the wind out. Unlike some wind-blocking fabrics, though, the fabric used here is hardly stretchy at all. A stretchier fabric might go a ways toward masking the gloves' cut, which is pretty simple and not pre-curved to hold the bars, the way some gloves are. This means that the fabric does bunch a bit in the palm. Not enough to cause blisters, but annoying nonetheless. We prefer it, though, to the foul smell that neoprene-based gloves seem to develop almost immediately thanks to their lack of breathability. A more three-dimensional cut would likely help with the bunching, as well as with some looseness at the back of the palm. That said, the fit of our size 10/L gloves was decent on the bike. Like the Siberian gloves, it didn't feel like we had as much control of the bike as we'd like, but haven't had any mishaps as a result either. We certainly prefer the Tempest to our aging Fox's Polarpaw gloves, which gave us better control of the bike but whose un-lined palms didn't do anything to keep out the cold from frozen handlebars or brake levers.

That said, the Tempest has been a good all-around winter and cool-weather glove. The light but effective fabric makes for a glove that doesn't take a lot of room, and two gloves can be stashed in a jersey pocket along with a helmet liner without any fear of them falling out, making them perfect for those cool early-morning starts. We haven't seen the new version in the flesh, but for a reasonable $30-35, they're well made and certainly worth a look.

craft-usa.com

marc
dsf

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bikefix Exclusive Review: Craft Siberian Glove

Craft, the Scandinavian clothing company, is best known in the cycling world for it's base layers, which are well made, popular, and a little on the pricey side. Being from Scandinavia and having a quite strong presence in the Nordic skiing world, they certainly know cold weather gear. Here we have their some of their coldest weather cycling gloves, the Siberian.

As cool- and cold-weather cyclists know, it's not so much insulation that keeps you warm as wind blocking. Furthermore, all the insulation in the world won't help if you've squished the air out of it- remember that time you squeezed thee pair of socks into your riding shoes? That sucked. With that in mind, the $59 Craft Siberian are built largely of wind- and water-resistant, breathable fabric, even under the terry thumb wipe. The palms are a durable synthetic leather (multiple layers in places) with grippy dots in the palms and on the first two fingertips. The cuff is elasticated at the wrist and the gauntlet bit is about 2in long with a Velcro closure. Reflective logos are unobtrusive but positioned for maximum visibility on both flat and drop bars. On first inspection, they don't seem particularly well insulated, with just a moderately dense (but thin) fleecy layer inside.

Having learned from experience, we decided to try one size larger than we would have in a summer glove, in this case 11/XL. For riders with anything but the chubbiest fingers, this will feel a bit loose in the fingers, but leaves enough room that the insulation isn't compressed. It also leaves a bit of room to wrap your hands around the bar without your fingers pressing against the ends of the glove. The gauntlet bit [is that the correct term?] flares enough to keep jacket sleeves in place and provide for a nice windproof seal there.

While Siberian may be a bit of an exaggeration, we've ridden these gloves in pretty damn cold weather and have been largely happy. As intended, wind is kept at bay. The extra room in the palm and fingers, while compromising grip a bit, warms up quickly and kept us warm on road rides down to about 35 degrees and mountain bike rides a bit cooler than that. Any colder than 35 on the road, though, and fingers would start to get uncomfortable after 15 minutes or so, particularly pinkies, where the minimal blood flow just couldn't keep the cold off. We've been meaning to try some silk-weight glove liners, but don't know how much they would help. Thicker knit glove liners seem to compress the insulation too much and actually made us colder. The insulation under the leather palm and (especially) fingers makes a difference as well- fighting off the chill from frozen brake levers. As far as the looseness compromising control, especially off road, that may be the case, though the grippy dots do help. We're not sure if it's more of a psychological thing, either- we haven't had any problems, it just doesn't feel like we have as much grip as we'd like.

After a winter's worth of commuting, plus the odd snowshoeing and Nordic ski outing, the Siberians have held up very well. Some of the grippy dots on the fingertips (not so much the palms) are wearing down, and some cracks have appeared in the printed-on reflective logos. There have been cold mornings when we've wished for more warmth, but from 45 down to 30 or so, these have been great. Though we've never tried them, Craft have a new-for-2007 lobster style split mitten [2-finger glove?] that looks quite similar and may be worth a shot if you're truly hardcore.

www.craft-usa.com

marc

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bikefix Exclusive Review *update*: On-One Scandal 29er

Exclusive! We've just heard back from Brant at On-One that there will be a slot-dropout Scandal for some time in early 2008. Even better, he's sent through a pic. While this example has a bent seat tube, the production frame is slated to receive a straight version. His seems to be a 26in version built with cyclocross wheels and tires (35c or so)- look at all the space between the rim and outside of the tire. The dropout looks tidy too- we like how the disc caliper is tucked out of the way within the rear triangle. Sister company Planet X's carbon rims add a bit of flash to boot. Maybe if they're ready in time, we'll be able to score one for 24HitOP...

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bikefix Exclusive Review: TruVativ Rouleur Carbon compact crankset

Before the complaints and warnings start, please be advised that the following road crankset is not being used as intended. The tester weighs a whopping 140lb and it was used on a single speed race bike because, well, because we wondered if it could be done. You'd be just as foolish as we are to do the same. So there.

Once upon a time, mountain bike cranksets had a an outer bolt circle diameter of 110mm and an inner BCD of 74mm. As climbs got steeper and riders tougher, though, smaller granny gears than the 74mm would allow prompted the move to compact (94/68mm) and 4-arm bolt patterns, and 110mm BCD cranks and rings began to gather dust on bike shop shelves around the world. Eventually, though, road climbs got steeper too, and riders too macho for a third chainring began looking for smaller inner rings. The standard road 130mm BCD was too big, though, so the 110mm standard was resurrected.

When we saw that, we wondered, "how cool would that be for a single speed?" Heck, 110mmx34t chainrings are readily available and there are some cool, light road cranks out there. Road cranks also tend to be narrower, allowing for a narrower Q-factor (think stance, or lateral distance between your feet), which is generally accepted to be a good thing. "It would be cool..." we thought, and then forgot about that thought.

Fast forward a year or so... At the local bikeatorium, we spotted a sexy carbon fiber external BB crankset on sale for not much more than a new Shimano LX crankset (~$190). End of year, they were a long-for-road 175mm take-offs, and we needed cranks for our Scandal anyways. The shiny new TruVativ rings were bartered for a matte black (accidentally-ordered) 110mm, 34t Spot chainring and we were on our way with 830g of carbon fiber sexiness.

As the Scandal has a 68mm BB shell (road cranks don't work with the wider 73mm shells), that didn't prove a problem. Mounting was much the same as most external BB cranks- the cups go in, and the drive side arm (with attached BB spindle) slides in. Unlike Shimano units, though, there are no pinch bolts on the non-drive side. Instead, the BB spindle is slightly tapered (like a massive ISIS BB), and there is a captive 8mm bolt/crank puller holding it all together, spun the cranks, and they stopped with a grinding sound. Damn. It turns out that there is very little room between the back of the spider and the 29er's chainstay. Little as in virtually none (see picture, right). We had to pull out our prized vintage Tioga purple chainring bolts and replace them with the ever-so-slightly lower included Torx bolts. Now, there was enough space for a playing card in there, but that was about it. We recon that other frames, especially those with 26in wheels, may well have more clearance, but haven't tried any.

We were worried, but pretty much committed at this point, so decided to go for a ride. We hoped that there wouldn't be enough flex in the frame to allow the chainring bolts to rub the frame under hard pedaling. Well, as it turns out, the Scandal is a pretty stiff frame laterally, and there were no grinding noises from down below and we rode it. We rode harder and harder and eventually forgot about the minimal clearance altogether.

Almost a year later, we've had no problems. TruVativ had the good sense to put an aluminum spine inside the carbon fiber from the pedal thread down to the BB axle. The clear coat is pretty scuffed at this point thanks to our duck-footedness, and we worry a bit when we hit the pedals on rocks, but nothing has made it through the clear coat. No noises, no catastrophic failure. Seeing as TruVativ have to make their product stand up to meathead Iron Men and roadies twice our weight, we're not concerned at this point. The bearings as well have held up fine to off road use, dirt and stream crossings, and feel pretty much like they did when new- not Campy smooth, but without a trace of gritty-ness. We're not sure what the included pedal spindle washer does, but seeing as they went to the trouble to tie it to the pedal hole, we figured it was important and should be used. The big spider fills the chainring nicely and seems to help keep any flex away, too, as we can't feel anything moving down there.

All in all, we're happy with the purchase. Light, sexy, and a heck of a deal- there's not much more that one could ask for... So yes, it can be done. The cranks don't have to be carbon, and any decent road shop should have more and more take-off compact road cranks lying around. If the price were right, we'd do it again in a minute. Now if we could only win one of those purple Kooka rings that comes up on eBay from time to time...

www.truvativ.com

marc

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bikefix Exclusive Review: On-One Scandal 29er

Based in Yorkshire, On-One strike me as a sort of British Surly. Niche bikes (and parts) with offbeat names, made by someone else (in the Far East) and sold for a reasonable price. Having ridden and owned a few Inbreds over the years, including (most recently) a sliding dropout 29er, I was familiar with the company and ride. So, when my mind started playing with the idea of a lightweight single-speed 24 hour race bike, the Scandal came immediately to mind.

The Scandal (or, cleverly, Sc and Al) is On-One's Scandium (main tubes) and 7000-series (rear triangle) "superlight XC frame." Available for both 26" and 29" wheel sizes, the geometry is based on their proven Inbred (l o n g and low). With DeKerf-style seatstays and bridgeless chainstays, there is more than enough room for the biggest tire we put in (a 29x2.3in WTB ExiWolf), and we'd be surprised if WTB's 2.5in WeirWolf LT didn't fit (see pictures). Coming from the UK, where rain is nearly as common as sunshine in Phoenix, this makes sense (and is always appreciated). Combine 29in wheels, big tires, a low seat tube and a foot of inexpensive 27.2mm carbon fiber seatpost swaying in the wind, and you've got the makings of a very comfortable hardtail. Factor in a 3.2-3.5lb frame weight, and it's time to go ride very fast for a very long time.

At a hair over 6' tall, I picked the 18in frame size for it's rangy 23.7in top tube. Throw on an offset-head seatpost and 100-110mm stem, and I'm right at home between those massive wheels. That said, 5'8 women have found the same frame size very comfortable with a zero offset post and 60mm stem- it's all what you're comfortable with. Personally, though, I would much rather have a frame that's a little too small than a little too big, but losing an inch of standover in the 20in frame (24.1in TT) would likely have been fine as well and may have allowed me to run more fork travel (see below).

So, head honcho Brant says that this is "least-aluminium-like aluminium frame you'll ride-" is there anything to it? In a word, yes. Far more comfortable than a carbon Scott Scale we had last winter, the Scandal is worlds apart from the last aluminum bikes we've ridden in anger (a somewhat abusive 2000-ish Specialized StumpJumper Pro and very abusive 2006 Trek 6500). This is what we'd consider very good thing, given that this bike was intended to be raced, as part of a single speed duo, at Tucson's fantastic 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo last February. Much like Albuquerque's in-town Foothills riding area, the 24HitOP course is fast, a little rocky, and plenty sandy. All winter, when the higher rides are snowed in, the Foothills (and Tucson) are a great place to ride- all manageable but challenging with a single speed, with plenty of little climbs and corners to keep you pedaling. The bike is laterally stiff, with no flex coming from the external-bearing cranks, frame, or wheels, but surprisingly comfortable, even on longer rides. Even better, every time I hop on this bike after an extended break, it just feels right- the handling is responsive without being twitchy and it likes to be ridden fast, without any odd behavior at speed. According to On-One, the frame was designed around an 80-100mm travel fork, but when I pulled the Reba apart to run it at 100mm, the bike did start to feel a bit floppy. This might be partially due to my small frame/long stem setup- I have a feeling that the larger size, with a shorter stem would handle the change better. Something to bear in mind if you need that extra 20mm of travel. In addition to the DeKerf-style seatstays, the Scandal sports nice reinforcing gussets under the downtube and on each of the un-bridged chainstays

But wait! Some of you will know that the Scandal isn't available as a single speed! That's right, unfortunately. When originally built, I used a SoulCraft Convert chain tensioner. Even with the Convert, the frame was going to be considerably lighter and faster than the steel Inbred it replaced, and none of the dedicated single speed frames that I looked into (save Moots') really did anything for me. The Convert was fine, but after a while, I noticed that, with my preferred 34x19 gearing, the chainstays were just barely too long. Heart in my mouth, I donned some old riding glasses and grabbed my trusty Dremel and shaved 1mm from the front of each dropout, about 1/4mm at a time. I had shortened the chain and kept shaving and trying the wheel until it was perfect, then shaved the non-drive side to match. The replaceable dropout, with it's slightly larger ale clearance, wasn't even touched. Sure- if I change gear ratios (and I have), I'll need to throw the Convert back on, but it's a 10 minute operation, tops, and it keeps things clean for 90% of my rides. By the way- don't try this at home, it's probably a bad idea.

At least in the US, the Scandal looks to be available only as a frame, so my bastard build won't affect most of you. For the curious, though, here are a few highlights:

• The RockShox Reba, while maybe a bit heavy at 4.1lb, has been a great, predictable fork. With 100psi in each chamber, good small-bump compliance isn't achieved at the expense of bigger hits, which it takes as well as an 80mm fork can be expected to. While I thought the remote lockout was a bit silly, on a single speed, having the control close at hand means that it gets used more. Not essential given the short travel, but I don't want to take it off, either...
• WTB LaserDisc Lite hubs, despite their high flanges and relatively low cost ($300/set) weigh a near-DT 410g for the set, and have proven more than strong enough to handle single speeding. They use American Classics's very clever freehub mechanism, which is nice and quiet to boot. They have an aluminum cassette body, so use a nice wide-based cog. I laced them up to some clearance 32 hole Sun ME14A road racing rims using DT's SuperComp double-butted spokes for a nice servicable 1600g wheelset. The rims might be a bit narrow for some, but they've held up very nicely, with only one minor true in a year's time.
• XTR Discs ('05 calipers, '07 levers), while not as powerful as the Formula Oros, are beautiful, low-maintenance, and have the nicest lever around. A 180mm front rotor helps out, as bigger wheels really call for bigger rotors.
• TruVativ Rouleur Carbon compact crankset- see the review elsewhere. So far, so good, and way sexier than LX...
• At $42, the 19t King Kog runs about $15 more than a comparable Surly unit and $10 more than Endless' beautiful cogs. That said, it's considerably lighter than the Surly, made in one of the most environmentally-sensitive bicycle component factories around (here in the US), and shows virtually no wear after almost a year's hammering. The broad base has also spared the WTB hub's aluminum cassette body from marring. Not cheap, but certainly built to last.
• When geared, I used a pair of 9s Shimano downtube shifters and Paul Thumbies perches. They were nice and clickety (SRAM fans should love them) and apparently bombproof, with a non-indexed friction mode for when things go horribly wrong. While the throw was a bit long for my liking, the appeal is in the simplicity, and if building a bike for the Great Divide Mountian Bike Route or touring Tibet, I'd certainly consider them. For most of us, though, modern triggers are plenty reliable and ergonomically superior. Great resale value, by the way...
  

While the Scandal is sold both in black painted (3.5lb) and black anodized (3.2lb) finishes, US distributor BTI only had painted ones on hand last December when this was ordered, so paint it was. Given the option, though, spend the extra $60 for the anodized version. In one 2.5 hour geared ride without a chainstay protector, the slapping chain did a fantastic job at removing most of the driveside chainstay paint. Not a huge deal, as bikes were meant to be ridden, but it looks pretty bad, and I've seen much older bikes look much better. The crinkle finish that manages to look so cool when new flakes off something fierce and as a result, this bike looks a fair bit older than it's 11 months.

Other niggles? Well, I only briefly ran the Scandal geared, but can't stand full cable housing. It's draggy, a pain to fit, and tends to need constant adjustment (see also Scott Scale). I know that folks in wetter climates like it, but I've always found that the ability to lube housing (with a wax-based lube such as White Lighting) stretches was much better than sealing the crud in/lube out. The headset went into the frame with alarmingly little force, but so far, there have been no problems (just watch them start now that I've mentioned it).

All in all, the Scandal has been fantastic. It's a light, responsive and above all natural-feeling frame that encourages you to push yourself without beating you up unnecessarily. From short rides with buddies to all day/night races, it has proven itself to be reliable and comfortable and willing to ride as hard as I've been able. It's a shame more shops don't carry them, as there's quite a bit to like. Besides, there's little that comes close in ride, quality, or weight for the $599 asking price.

on-one.co.uk

marc

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Rapha Knickers Reviewed

As we mentioned a while back, Rapha have recently introduced (among other things) some new bib knickers (or 3/4-length tights). Of course, now roadcyclinguk have posted a review. In short: great bibs, OK chamois. What we thought were reflective bits on the knees turn out only to be white stripes, which we suppose are better than nothing, and still look to have reflective piping alongside. We have used and like the Roubaix fabric that they use, and they would likely have been perfect for this morning's pre-turkey 40 degree single speed ride. $220 if you can find them...

roadcyclinguk
rapha

As of 12/4, bikeradar have their own review...

bikeradar.com

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Crank Brothers: more 2008 info

Some of Crank Brothers' 2008 stuff has started trickling onto their website, and it looks mighty sexy... The directset headset, in which the cups and outer races are one look to be insanely light- the Cobalt SL (XC/Stainless) version only 65g, which just a shade over half a Chris King (and the same money, at $130). You can save another 7g with the Ti version, but it'll set you back an insane $300. It should be noted that the Iodine (all mountain) and Opium (freeride) versions, as well as the less expensive steel (non-stainless) versions are still under 70g, which is impressive.

What we're really interested in, though, are the wheels. No word on availability, but we do have weights and pricing. Sadly, both the Cobalt and Iodine will likely come in within $75 or so of $1000, which was higher than we'd hoped. That said, they are being hand built in California, and the Cobalt version will weigh in at 1560g for the set. Not too light, not too heavy. 6 pawls will take turns (in sets of 3) engaging 48 teeth per revolution. They're not being described as UST, though, which is odd, seeing as the design looks to be perfect (no holes through the rim). We'll keep an eye out, but they sadly may be beyond bikefix's budget for the time being...

crankbrothers.com
bikeradar.com
bti-usa.com

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bikefix First Impressions: RockShox Revelation 426 Air U-Turn

13 July 2008: See our review update here...

Seeing as the Marzocchi XC700SL is off at Marzocchi getting it's innards replaced, we figured that it was time to see if there was anything to the positive noises that we've been hearing about RockShox's latest generation of forks. I, for one, have been impressed with the Reba Race on my 29er (not that there were many choices when it was built), as it felt responsive on smaller bumps without bottoming put over bigger stuff. Not having ridden anything else from RockShox since an '03 Psylo Team (which was good, save for my 140lb ass inexplicably breaking springs), I figured it was time to give them another look.

Weighing in at a reasonable (for the travel) 4 pounds even (plus the optional remote lockout) and sporting 100-130mm of travel, the Revelation is up against Fox's TALAS (I disliked) and Vanilla (Charlie likes), Marzocchi's XC Retro 700 and Manitou's Minute series, among others. Made in Taiwan, by SRAM (the people who brought you plastic), RockShox don't seem to have the cachet of other brands. It's a shame, though, as there are a lot of neat things going on here, which we'll get into during a midterm or final review.

We figured that, with adjustable positive and negative air chambers, that the Revelation would be very tunable, with the ability to go from a linear to progressive spring curve to suit rider weight and style. Right out of the box, with 80psi in each the top and bottom air chambers, the Revelation feels miles better than the TALAS over small bumps (and just as plush) and a bit better than the XC700 on small bumps and a fair bit better fast, rough stuff. We've only spent about 6 or 7 hours riding it so far, but provided that the seals break in and everything else keeps working, we could have a winner on our hands...

rockshox.com

marc

13 July 2008: See our review update here...

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Beautiful Bamboo. and Flames

OK, we know that Calfee has been doing carbon-lugged bamboo frames for a few years, the look has never quite done it for us. Don't know why, but this San Patrignano comes across as a much more 'finished' product. Beautiful... There's also a mountain bike on show:

As we all know, flames make anything faster. Even a lugged steel frame, fork and stem, also from San Patrignano (follow link for pics). We're suckers for flames.

roadcyclinguk.com
velonews.com

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bikefix Exclusive Review: Cayne Uno fixie/ss

We know that fixed gears are all the rage right now with all the hip kids and their tight jeans. As much as we hate all that's trendy and cool, we really like this bike.

Cayne seems to be US distributor J&B Importers' house brand, and the Uno the first bike we've seen from them. It's a solid fixed gear/single speed road bike (not track geometry) and, at about $475, a helluva value. A functional cromoly frame, surprisingly nice (though heavy) wheelset, nice brakeset and well thought-out details set this bike apart from others on the market.

The frame and fork are, bluntly, pretty heavy. While steel is generally pretty comfortable (especially when compared to aluminum), Cayne have erred on the safe side and used a lot of it. This makes for a sturdy bike, but also a heavy-ish and somewhat harsh ride. Not bad, but not as comfortable as a nicer frame. That's probably not helped by the straight-legged fork, but it sure looks cool. Another thing that looks cool (or odd, depending on who you ask) is the dropouts. Whoever built this bike must also make BMX bikes, as it looks like these came right off a mid-range kids' bike (see picture). You could even run pegs, if you were so inclined. They do, however, provide plenty of area to weld the stays to and simple mitering, so we like them. The stickers are not clear coated and come right off (as ours' did).

The Formula flip-flop hubs and Alex DC-19 rims are available as a machine-built wheelset at our local bike shop for about $200 and seem pretty sturdy. While our rear came with a bit of a hop, we couldn't true it out and have been riding it as-is. Over a year later, we haven't touched the wheels at all- they're as straight as they were when new, which is about all you can ask for, especially at the price. We pulled the stock Hutchinson Flash wire bead tire off of the rear when new, in favor of a (very) puncture-resistant Maxxis Re-Fuse, thinking that the rear would see more abuse and glass. Sure enough, our only road flat in that time was the front flash. It's been fine, but for commuting, something with a bit of a belt might not be a bad idea.

We left the stock Tektro dual-pivot brakes and levers on the bike, and they've been fine. If you're too macho for brakes, though, the rear brake cable runs on the sort of bosses usually reserved for mountain bike disc brakes- a zip tie holds the cable in place and the bosses are all but invisible when the cable is removed. Other things we did change, though. Here's a list, along with justifications:

• The stock BB is w-a-y too wide. It requires the chainring to be mounted inboard of the crank tabs and looks stupid. Luckily, we had an old WTB square-taper BB in the parts bin, and now the cranks are closer together and the chainring (110mm BCD, 46t) is on the outside where it belongs.
• The stock pedals, though all metal with metal toe clips, are fairly cheap. We ran Crank Brother Eggbeaters, but they began to sound awful on a friend's beater after a couple of rides.
• The stock 46:18 gearing is a bit low, and we threw a reasonably-priced Surly 16t cog on.
• The standard-sized stock bar and (very cool looking) stem were annoyingly flexy. Luckily, the shop had a Felt OEM 31.8 stem and wide carbon-wrapped-aluminum (only carbon wrapped for about 6 inches) bar in the take-off pile. They look cool and got rid of that flex quick.
• The 56cm top tube was just a shade short, but the 59 just too big, so a cheap offset-clamp Kalloy seatpost replaced the stock zero-offset model.
• We had a well-worn Flite Trans Am saddle lying around, and while the OEM saddle was nice enough, this was nicer.
• Blue chainring bolts look cool
• Blue bar Fi'zi:k bar tape, while not as comfortable as the stock tape (it went on another bike in a pre-ride emergency swap), matches the blue bolts.
• Finally, a beautiful gunsmoke color Hope headset was overkill, but we couldn't bear to sell it with an old single speed, so swapped out the perfectly OK Cane Creak headset (which went with the single speed).

As mornings and days get colder (38 today at 6:30), we've been turning back to the fixed gear to limit our speed, increase our pedaling, and keep us warm. The bike handles predictably and has been fun to ride. Riding fixed has been a learning experience, but it helps us make the most of short winter rides and train for 24-hour races. We've ridden it with SKS' fantastic RaceBlade fenders in the winter, as there are no standard rack/mudguard mounts. All in all, the Uno has been a welcome addition to our stable. Despite a few minor quibbles, we haven't seen anything that even comes close for the money.

J & B Importers

note: as we've torn it down to build up a Raleigh fixed gear, our Cayne Uno is up for sale. $150 takes it, with 1 year's riding. More info here.

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On-One Inbred Reviewed

We love the On-One Inbred. The quirky "British Surly" is inexpensive, rides great (steel is real), is available as a frame or complete, with or without gears, and for 26" and 29" wheels. An Inbred was marc's first singlespeed, white and purchased at Freewheel in Notts. Aah, that bug bit hard...

The aggressively bent and crimped chainstays and DeKerf-style seatstays allow for nice fat tires for both wheel styles, there are Crud Catcher (Google it) bosses on the downtube, and the top tubes are nice and long, allowing 6 foot men and 5'8 women to ride the 18" (with 105mm and 60mm stems, respectively). The frame and stem also have very cute overall-wearing inbreds smiling up at you.

Bikeradar have reviewed a geared version with a rigid carbon fork in a lovely powder blue. They like it, as they should, though we should add that it's perfect in more places than just England.

bikeradar.com
craigslist.org

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24-Hour Road Racing!

Patrick Adams, the promoter of Mountain Mayhem and Sleepless in the Saddle 24-hour mountain bike racing events, among others, has announced what is first 24-hour road bike race (that we're aware of). Adams has secured a road circuit in a Welsh army training area, which ensures that it'll be traffic-free for the entirety of the event. We wonder if lapping a sub-9 mile course on road bikes could get monotonous (mountain bike races tend to be 10-15 miles per lap and are of course a fair bit slower), and we could imagine leading 5-person teams racking up nearly 50 laps over 24 hours. That said, Adams has a reputation for great events to uphold, so he's probably got the details down.

Check out www.shimano24.com for images, maps, and even an accelerated video of the course. Could be neat if you're in the neighborhood...

shimano24.com
bikebiz.com
bikemagic.com
singletrackworld.com

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Like a nice suit...

We've been told at various times that everyone should buy at least one really nice suit in their lifetime. Or an embarrassingly expensive pair of jeans that look just right. Well, that's how we feel about Castelli soft shell jackets. Unfortunately for those of us who have already done so, they keep getting better. While there's almost always an obnoxious Italian colorway, there's also almost always a more conservative version- one that you will be able to wear for years to come. Castelli soft shells are wonderful pieces. Available in a variety of weights, they are windproof can be combined (or not) with base layers to work on 55 degree spring mornings or 25 degree winter night rides. The details are usually perfect, and this seems to be just the case with the Espresso. Stretchy Gore Windstopper fabric keeps the wind (and most of the rain) out, and a handful of well-placed pockets and vents are welcome additions. The massive (removable) teathered zipper pulls on the back pockets seemed silly until we remembered how just hard it can be to operate normal zips with winter gloves on. Plus, they're reflective.

Of course, the current weakness of the dollar makes Castelli stuff even more expensive than in the past. And Rapha are giving them a run for their money in the object-of-lust department. Not that you'll regret it. Granted, it's not the most visible jacket out there, but the less-obnoxious color means that it'll probably see use both on and off the bike. Maybe even paired with those jeans...

bikeradar.com

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The rebirth of MAGs

TAG Wheels have reintroduced the bicycle MAG wheel... Some of us have been lurking around long enough to remember Skyway Tuff Wheels and Tuff IIs... 5 plastic spokes, cool colors- people could spot your rad-ness from a mile away. This time around, they're being aimed them squarely at the freeride and DH crowd, though, with DT 440 hubs, 36mm rims, and anchor-like 3700g/pair weights. That's despite new technologies in injection molding that Spin, Spinergy, and Aerospoke didn't have in the early 90s. Yes, that's well over twice what a sensible all mountain wheelset weighs nowadays, but damn they look cool... Check out their wheel converter to see just how cool...

bikemagic.com
tagwheels.com

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Felt Z35 reviewed

Bikeradar have just reviewed Felt's carbon fiber-framed Z35. Like Giant's OCR and Specialized's Roubaix series of road bikes, Felt's Z series is a range of road bikes have a number of concessions to comfort and longer rides. Shorter top tubes, higher front ends, and more relaxed geometry make this type of bike just the kind of ride many forst- (or long-) time roadies are looking for. We've seen these in our local shop, and they look cool, with loads of tubing manipulation, lots of OK house brand finishing kit, and some decent parts for the money. Worth a look if you don't want the same bike as everyone else...


bikeradar.com

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bikefix Exclusive Review: Uvex xp 100

I bought this helmet on a whim and it is the best helmet I have ever had. Uvex is a German company who seem to really care about the price and value of their products. They have a range of sporting goods but are known mostly for their eyewear [especially workplace safety glasses] and helmets.

The xp 100 is a cross country/all mountain lid that looks a little like the Giro Zen but not nearly as bulk- though probably with not quite as much crash protection either. The Uvex has 16 vents and weighs in at a very light 255 grams. The front vents have mesh webbing to keep out bees and such (don’t laugh, it’s happened to me twice before I owned this helmet) and weighs less than many cross-country helmets offering less coverage.

Of course, the most important thing with a helmet is the fit, and the XP happens to fit me very well. I have a large-ish round head and am completely happy with the fit. A friend who also has this helmet loves the fit- he has a large head too but with a more oval shape. The retention system ratchets in and out using a rotary dial type knob. The only drawback so far is that it can loosen over the duration of a ride– never much, but always a little. That doesn’t bother me much but some might not like that. Unlike some helmets though, I have never gotten my hair pulled out when I adjust it or take it off.

The xp 100 sits close to the top of the Uvex range (only one model is pricer) but is a great value at $100.00 [and $30 less than the Giro Xen]. The 2008 colors don’t appeal to me as much as 2007’s [German style isn't for everyone- at least they have black], but they have enough different colors to satisfy most people.

uvexsports.com

charlie

12/13/07:
Thanks to Maria from Uvex for her feedback. She sounds like a very nice lady and asked us to mention that "our helmet carries the same protection as the Giro helmet you reference. All helmet manufacturers are required to go through the same testing procedures to ensure consumer safety, so your cranium is just as safe in our lid as theirs" (and that she hopes that "it will never be an issue for you.")...

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Uvex Combo Backs: looks like a deal

Poking around Uvex's US helmet website, we noticed a category called "Combo Packs." We're somewhat familiar with their helmets (nice features, nice fit, limited range of sizes), though not very familiar with their more performance-oriented eyewear. For $10 or $20 more than some of their high-end helmets, you can also get a pair of color-coordinated interchangeable lens glasses (retail $70 or so). For example:

$110 Boss Race helmet
+ $70 pair of Hawk glasses (with 3 sets of polarized lenses)
= $120 Boss Race Combo

Granted, color choices are limited (and some are awful), but if you need a helmet, it may be worth a shot.

uvexsports.com

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Wal*Mart opening bike shops

For avid cyclists, Wal*Mart has long been the anti-IBD (independant bicycle dealer). Their cheap bicycles are often more expensive to repair than replace and largely unsuitable for off-road use (though one of our testers' first mountain bikes was a Huffy Stalker, purchased for $100 at the now-defunct Lechmire chain). Their contracts with suppliers result continual downward pressure on prices, ensuring a continuous supply of cheap goods but squeezing suppliers who have little choice but to sell to the nation's largest retailer and making sustainably/conscientiously/quality goods seem outrageously expensive by comparison. And, of course, their assembly skills are famously awful, even dangerous.

In any case, Wal*Mart has received attention of late from their proactive moves to become more environmentally friendly. Taking steps toward daylighting stores and energy efficiency aren't only good PR, they can help the company's bottom line. In line with that, and the nation's slow realization that being healthy is actually a good thing, Wal*Mart has announced plans to open over 100 in-store shops. With stuff that we might actually buy. bikeradar has the scoop:

"Wal-Mart has designed a full-service bicycle shop within its 203,091 square feet of retail space. Professional bicycle mechanics are something new for Wal-Mart, who historically hire contractors to assemble bikes for the chain, with little or no experience. In early 2006, Wal-Mart, will annual sales of US$348 billion, announced a grand plan to open 100 bike boutiques within its stores by late 2007.

An extensive community bike trail system connects to the shopping center. An outdoor gazebo next to Wal-Mart offers cyclists a rest stop, water and air hose."

What does this mean to the bike industry? On the one hand, prices and margins will be squeezed even further. Good for the consumer, bad for the bike shop. On the other hand, it could make the idea that spending good money (hundreds of dollars) on a bicycle isn't outrageous. It will also likely give good bike shops a chance to do what they do best: provide first-hand knowledge and personal service. The challenge will be finding the money in skinnier margins to attract and retain the staff they need in order to provide these things.

bikeradar.com
bikebiz.com

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bikefix Exclusive Review: Specialized Roll X Pro D2 2Bliss Tire

After about a year without a tire I could really get behind, I got aggressive in asking local riders what they rated for local conditions. It's largely dry around here, with plenty of sharp rocks and a fair amount of sand. I loved Continental's (UST) Vertical, but got sick of cutting new or near-new tires. Geax's BarroMarathon (UST) had promising volume, but wore alarmingly quickly and didn't corner as well as it could have. WTB's ExiWolf 2.3 has been great on my 29er, but isn't available in a tubeless version. Schwalbe's Albert was nice but I wanted something between the narrow-ish 2.1 and massive 2.25, besides, they were pricey.

A number of locals whose opinion I trust recommended Specialized's Roll X. Reasonably fast-rolling, fairly sturdy (but not DH heavy), and (in the Pro tubeless version), a helluva deal at $36.95 at the shop down the road. I threw them on the scale and seem to remember them weighing in at a reasonable 770g.

I picked up a 2.2 (for the front) and an older 2.0 (almost as big as the 2.2) before a big trip during the first week of August. While we had several beautiful days, we also had a fair amount of rain, and I was pleasantly surprised. There was plenty of traction for climbing, and descending grip wasn't jaw-dropping, but more importantly it was predictable.

There's little worse, in my opinion, than an unpredictable tire. Personally, I will happily trade a very grippy tire that lets go abruptly for a moderately grippy one that breaks free progressively, allowing me to make corrections before being dumped on my ass. In most conditions, the Roll X is a very predictable tire. It performs well in loamy, rocky, and wet conditions, due no doubt in part to the soft 60 (shore A) durometer cornering knobs (combined with a 70 shore A centers). The only place where it falls a bit short is in 1in or so deep sand. Less and it's fine, much more and nothing works particularly well. Seeing as no tire is perfect, that's fine by me.

My only complaint is that the cornering knobs are wearing a bit too quickly. Much like the triple-compound Schwalbe Racing Ralphs, I'm finding that the grippy cornering knobs rear faster than the rest of the tread, and quickly become the weakest link. Have a look at the photo to the right. The cornering knobs on the rear tire are pretty severely undermined after only three months of regular riding. Better than some, worse than I'd like. I could happily wring some more life out of the tire if the cornering knobs weren't so hammered (see comments about unpredictable tires, above). Today's ride was probably the last on the rear, though the front is still in good shape and will be shifted aft. Thanks to a $25-off-$75-purchase coupon at the aforementioned shop, I now have a Resolution front and spare Roll X waiting to be ridden.

These were run with about 1/4 cup of Stan's NoTubes sealant (thanks to the cactus and goatheads that litter our local trails) and between 25 and 30psi (less than Specialized's recommended 35psi min). No flats, no sidewall cuts, no knobs rotting from the inside and falling off.

marc

specialized.com

edit: Talked to the local Spez dealer yesterday, and the Roll X has been discontinued for 2008. Replaced, according to them, by the Sauserwind, which is available in... 26x1.8 That doesn't sound quite right- does anyone have any more info?

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Again?

The Marzocchi is winding down again... Thank goodness for zip ties. Spoke with Marzocchi after today's ride, and they were anything but surprised. The ATA wind-down mechanism has been extensively reworked since our Generation 1 fork was released and they've invited ours back for some new parts. Still, it's no fun paying $630 to be a beta tester. Thankfully, a Revelation should be on the way, so we'll have something to compare the reworked fork to. We really want to like this fork, but it's becoming difficult...

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TwentyNineInches review a monster 29er tire

WTB's WeirWolf LT 29er tire is massive, in every direction. With a 2.55in casing, with a trimmed-down version of their WeirWolf tread pattern, it has caught our attention at bike shops here in town- looks like just the thing to go fast and avoid pinch flats on our 29ers. Sure, it's heavy, but if its as rocky where you are as it is here, or you're a purist sporting a rigid fork, the WeirWolf may be just the ticket.

TwentyNineInches recon it's "perfect summer for mountain biking here in the Mid-West," though they seem to prefer it as a front, paired with a NanoRaptor in the rear. We can't help but wonder what it would be like paired with a 2.4 NanoRaptor, which we love in a 26 for it's great traction (plenty for rear SS use) and cushion, not to mention fast rolling. If only it was available in that width for 29ers...

TwentyNineInches.com

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How much is too much?

Boulder, CO based Temple Cycles are among the frame builders out there at the moment going well above and beyond just custom bikes. These bikes are way over the top and, in our opinion, just gorgeous. To the right is a custom ride featuring teak veneer, chromed and custom-painted components, and nautical flags replacing component logos. Why? Because they can, apparently. Check out the gallery on their website. Remember, chrome is the new white. You heard it here first.

templecycles.com
cyclingnews.com

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How many watts do you have?

Now, it's not only anal-retentive roadies who'll know. (It'll be anal-retentive mountain bikers, too).

All well-intended-ribbing aside, Saris' PowerTap has proven itself a useful training and racing tool for racers at the upper levels. We wouldn't mind trying one on a SS, so that we could know exactly how manly we are.

powertapgeek.com
cyclingnews.com

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bikefix Exclusive Review: 2007 Formula Oro Bianco

After hearing Charlie rave about these newfangled Formula Oro discs for over a year, I had the opportunity to give them a go. Note to self: listen to Charlie.

I've long been a fan of Shimano's hydraulic disc brakes. I've ridden them on my personal bikes for over six years, including a season guiding and wrenching in the French Alps. Great lever shape, fantastic durability, and modulation that Hayes and Avid couldn't touch. Plus, the mineral oil is relatively non-toxic (ever use baby oil?) and doesn't absorb moisture like DOT fluid can.

The Bianco was designed as Formula's downhill brake [still available, but replaced as a DH brake for 2008 by The ONE]. What that seems to mean is that it has a smaller (one-finger) lever and (maybe) different cylinder geometry than Formula's other Oro's. That said, it's damn light for a DH brake. When weighed without rotors or adapters, our set weighed 30g less per wheel than our '08 XTs with the same length hoses (see confusing weight table, below). A nice thing about Formula's brakes is that they're sold separately from their rotors and adapters. It makes things easier for your local bike shop and means that, if you have a bunch of rotors lying around, you've saved $40 per wheel. It also means that, if you want to run 180mm front and 160mm rear (or 200/180 or 160/140 or whatever) rotors, you can get it. The rotor kits even include the appropriate (post or IS) adapter, and as such are a killer deal. Add to that the fact that Formula's are all made in Italy rather than some sketchy factory in the far east, and the price seems that much more reasonable.

Formula (who I've been told worked with Avid to design the Juicy series) have done an incredible job with these brakes. With 180mm front and 160mm rear rotors, power is almost excessive, but sill controllable (remember, skids are for kids, eh, be nice to your trails). The single finger lever works well with Shimano's trigger shifters and there is a lever clamp available that will take SRAM's XO shifters. The levers are identical (can be run either side), fairly compact, and have easy 'feel' control, which seems to make them spongier/firmer. I left mine about in the middle and haven't touched them since. The polished finish is, in a word, pimp, and hides scratches reasonably well.

Can't all be perfect, can it? Well, no. First of all, there's really not much setting the $240/wheel Biancos apart from the $125 (plus rotor) K18s or $190 K24s, aside from 90g (per wheel), which is probably thanks to the smaller levers and lack of paint. There is also a carbon-levered, kevlar-hosed $305 (per wheel, plus rotor) Puro model, for bonus bling (same weight). Second, I'd just as soon not have to deal with DOT fluid around the house, and that's just what Oro's run on. Shame, too, as that would make these perfect in my book.

For $125/wheel, the Italian-made K18s are near impossible to beat. The Biancos are fantastic brakes, but it's hard to see where the extra $115 goes (they are hand-polished), but they're still competitive with much of what else is out there, and much sexier.

formula-brake.it

marc

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bikefix Exclusive Review: 2007 Maverick ML8

I am a long-time Maverick fan so I jumped at a chance to review the ML8. I have owned an ML8 for over 2 years now and it has been ridden hundreds of miles on terrain from Moab, to 13,000 foot high singletrack in Colorado. I started with a black ML8 which I sold to a buddy and has since been replaced with another in Maverick's hard anodized grey color (also available on the Durance). The anodizing holds up extremely well and is lighter than paint (when paint is available).

[Hard, or type 3, anodization is an electrochemical process in which the outer .001-.002in of an aluminum part is converted to .002-.004in of alumina, a very hard and durable ceramic material (which can also hold off up to 1,500 volts of electricity). We've seen it on a handful of bike parts and it holds up amazingly well... marc]

The ML8 has 165mm [6.5in] of rear travel which I have paired with 160mm Manitou Platinum Intrinsic Nixon. Maverick doesn’t like categories so it hasn’t been pegged as an all-mountain bike or a long travel trail bike, but it fits firmly in there somewhere. The frame weighs in at about 7 lbs, and my ML8 built up around 28 lbs. You could get it lighter but you would lose some of the functionality that the strong 6.5 inch travel frame gives you. That would be a mistake because this is a truly remarkable bike. I use it as a trail bike for especially brutal trails – with no regard to how much climbing I’m going to do. The kind of trail where the downhill makes you nervous, the rock gardens are unending, and your sit bone gets sore just thinking about the ride. I don’t know what kind of limits it has when it comes to drops and ledges, but it far outstrips my ability and should be able to handle years of hits from 3-4 foot drops (my opinion).

All Mavericks favor the seated rider. The ML8 makes this even truer with its generous travel. If you keep your weight on the seat when going uphill, you can ride over almost anything if you have the legs. The ML8 is a fantastic on the descents. There are probably a number of other bikes that descend equally or better than the Maverick, but not by much. Ariel Lindsey even won a national downhill event on an ML8. Most importantly to me, I always feel safe and controlled on the ML8, even in the scary stuff. I take more risks on the ML8 than on any other bike I have owned, and so far that has worked out fine.

I will mention that the Maverick is sensitive to what components you build it with – particularly the fork and front dérailleur/shifter. Spend some time with an experienced Maverick retailer (or rider) to really figure out what will work best for you, given your riding style and trail preferences. If I was going to fault the ML8 for anything it would be the front shifting. It can be tough to get perfect and can de-tune itself rather quickly. A good mechanic can make this become almost a non-issue. The ML8 can chew-up rear cable housing kind of quickly, however some brands of housing seem to last about the normal amount of time.

It has been said that the ML8 is the best single bike for riding both uphill and downhill. I absolutely agree. There are some good arguments for a select few other bikes out there, most of which I have ridden and like very much. Foremost among them would be the Santa Cruz Nomad. Like many VPP designs, however, it doesn't seem quite as small-bump sensitive as the Maverick. Also, its standover height is a bit tall, and it's heavier than the ML8. For my money, then, it would have to be the ML8.

Hard Anodized ML8: $2500
Anodized (not hard) Green: $2350

maverickbike.com

charlie

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