Interbike 07

I'm sorry to report that I saw only one thing I didn't already know about.



That would be the Ti Niner TSL prototype. Lots of folks were clamouring for this bike, but there are a couple of issues left for the guys at Niner to work out. AS it sits right now, there are actually 2 versions of the bike, one geared, one not, one suspension corrected, one not. Picture a Ti SIR9, and you get the idea behind one of the bikes. The other would come with it's own decaled to match DT (formerly Pace) carbon fork.


The JET was also present. The version shown will not be the production one unfortunately. The finished version will have bearings instead of bushings, and a few small refinements. I want one now, and after seeing the Kermit green version, that will have to be the color.


Also there was the WFO prototype. Boasting 6.5" of travel via Niner's ever so awesome CVA suspension, this bike is a dare to component manufacturers to step up and build some long travel stuff for the 29er crowd. It features a 150mm thru axle rear end, 83mm BB spacing and a 1.5" head tube. The only fork available at this time was the White Brothers Fluid 150.

That is where I was most disappointed to see the lack of innovation in the 29" segment. No new forks besides the Fox F29. I'll be getting mine sometime in October.














Seven had this super cool ultimate commuter bike, with a Ti front rack that will hold a case of beer. It also had wooden fenders and was really a joy to look at.

Intense had the 5.5 there. Look for a detailed test on this bike soon, as one is coming my way.


There were a couple of new tires from WTB, but really, the best part about being out there was seeing my friends from "back in the day". Once a year just isn't enough time with people that are like family. That was the single best part of the trip.

Now for the Vermont 50 tomorrow.......
ugh

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Only I know when I'll be back again.

I'm off to fabulous Las Vegas for the big song and dance that is Interbike.
I'll get to see first hand all the exciting developments in 29 inched wheels, see some old industry friends, and maybe even get a chance to finally meet some folks I've only talked with electronically. I'm most excited to meet Guitar Ted in the flesh.

Flying is my least favorite activity. There is nothing like being confined in a shiny aluminum petri dish. And the proximity of the Vermont 50 so close to a trip to the phony and manufactured environment such as that of City of Sin, is going to put one heck of a strain on the mind and body.

So I'll leave you with a nice soothing picture of a RIP 9. This one is a beaut.


I have a pile of these frames on the way, in fact, they should be here when I return on Friday.

Also, Fox Forks......yes, they are coming!

Goings on

This little corner of the blogosphere has been quiet for the last week. I have actually been keeping pretty busy. September has been cranking right along for us at a ridiculous pace.
The weather has been amazing too, beautiful blue skies during the day, but chilly at night. Fall is here, and winter is not too far away.

The riding has been great too. Here is a little video of yours truly tackling the "Wall" on 6 Flags.

The RIP 9 is riding really well right now. I'm trying to get out as much as I can, training for the impending Vermont 50. I'm not riding the RIP, and sadly, I will not be riding a JET9 either. The race bike will be Kermit, and I have some decisions to make on the final race spec, tire choice giving me the most trouble. I really want to try the Bontrager Dry X, but you can't exactly get those just yet.

Oh well...

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

MOOTS!

I'm very pleased to announce the arrival of our first Moots. For those that do not know, Moots handcrafts their frames in Steamboat Springs Colorado, exclusively out of that most coveted element, titanium. They are truly works of art.


This is a YBB, a pivotless soft tail, that will give up just enough flex on a big bump, but will remain stiff when you need to get the power to the ground. The YBB is heralded as the first softtail, and the first ever production 29er.


I was riding full suspension DH rigs back then, so I can't comment on these claims, but I can say, that even then, I aspired to owning one of these. Moots and beauty are synonymous. The welds are flawless. The finest of details are well thought out and executed.


Sadly, this one is not mine...

Interested in getting one? Well, lead times can be long. They are hand made one at a time, and good things can never be rushed, but at the time I ordered this frame, I was given a lead time of 8 weeks. It actually was ready in 5. You can pick from an extensive selection of stock sizes and geometry, with custom options galore.

Could be a good winter project.

What a Weekend!!!

Three exclamation points for a few reasons...



Let me tell you about a 23 year old rookie pitcher making his 2nd Major League start. Clay Buchholz threw a no hitter on Sept 1 2007 against the Baltimor Orioles. Mandy and I were there to witness it with and some good friends. How often do you get to see that happen? Not often.


Keller and I may have had something to do with it. We decided around the 7th inning to start making clucking chicken noises as Clay wound up. We would then scream "Buchholz!" on the release. Needles to say, it worked. We may be doing it for the rest of the season.

I count myself very lucky, not many folks get to be at the ballpark for a no hitter.

During the remainder of the weekend we connected with a new and now good friend out at Bradbury Mountain in Maine. He showed us some phenomenal trails. We had a short ride window, but he made sure every second was action packed. DA hooked up with us for the fun.





Thanks for the ride of Funness Escalation Kevin! We owe you one!

To sum up, Bradbury is a really fun place to ride. While we barely made a dent in the trails available, what we did get to ride made us yearn for more.

We'll be back.... and you can count on it!

Ongoing Review - White Bros Fluid 110

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

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


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

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

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


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


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

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

Happy Labor Day!