Surly Pugsley vs. Salsa Mukluk...

So again, changing my mind on my next bike purchase, back to the board with a nice fat bike comparison. I have wanted a full fatty since converting the Gary Fisher Rig to a fat front last year. The half fat really piqued my interest in a full fat setup, so as of now, the next bike will be a full fat bike. There is just something about those large tires! And now that Surly has released the Black Floyd slick 3.8" there is now a suitable road tire option to mix it up a bit from the knobbies. So, that said, lets compare:

Surly Pugsley

The fat bike that started it all. Okay, maybe not. I am sure there were some folks up in Alaska doing this way before Surly. But Surly brought the idea down to the rest of us folks that are not in the Great White North. Anyway, here are the pros, in my opinion:

-Steel frame and fork
-135mm front and rear hubs, giving you a bail out SS hub in the front in case you wreck your rear derailleur out in the wilderness. Being able to easily switch wheels, shorten the chain, and ride home is a BIG plus in my book.
-Good parts spec for the price point, around $1600 complete.
-Rack mounts front and back.
-Easy single speed option, with track style horizontal dropouts.

-The only cons for this bike are the rim width and the steel frame. Yes, I have the steel from on both the pros and the cons list. I do like steel. But steel can corrode a little easier than aluminum, so therefore it is also a con.
-The Large Marge rim is 65mm, which now is one of the smaller rim sizes for fat bikes. This does not turn me away from the Pugsley, but it should be noted. Upgrades are inevitable, this would probably be my first step if I go this route. Or, I could just spend the extra money on the Pugsley option, The Black Ops Pugsley:

The Black Ops version comes with a little different specs, including the wider Rolling Darryls, which are 82mm. It also comes with a bigger price tag...

Next up:

The Salsa Mukluk 2

The Mukluk 2 is the mid level of the Mukluk family, between the Titanium version and the Mukluk 3. Here are the pros:

-Nice looking bike. I love the matte black finish with red decals.
-Rolling Darryl rims, on dishless wheels. The rear hub is 170mm, and the front is 135mm. Big, wide wheels.
-Good parts spec, very similar to the Pugsley.
-Salsa Enabler fork. I love this fork. I think it is the perfect rigid fork for a bike like this. And with Salsa's Anything Cage that mounts directly to the fork, this bike is ready for adventure!
-Aluminum frame.

Cons:
-No SS escape plan, no swapping of the wheels if you trash your derailleur with different size hubs. I guess you could always just shorten the chain, but no horizontal dropouts.
-Grip shifters. I hate grip shifters. Sure, easy to switch, but just not my preference.
-Price. The Mukluk 2 is priced higher than the Pugsley at just around $2000. Ouch. Also, just read on an online forum that the Mukluk 2 has already sold out. So that leaves the very pricey Ti Mukluk, or the lower spec'd Mukluk 3. Too bad. If I had the cash though, I would buy a Ti Mukluk in a heartbeat! Gorgeous bike.

So that is where I am on the next bike decision. Now I know that there are other companies that make fat bikes, but I am limiting myself to these two companies just on buying complete. I really do not feel like building a fat bike from the ground up. Call me lazy. That's fine. But speaking of other companies, here is a quick list:

Salsa
Surly
Fatback
9:Zero:7

And the fat bike specific Fatbikes.com

All pictures of the Puglsey, BO Pugs, and Mukluk are from Surly and Salsa's sites respectfully.

Ramble on...

Beer:30... Celebrator.

One of my all time favorites, Celebrator Doppelbock. This beauty of a beer comes to us from Ayinger Brewery all the way from Germany. Germany is known for it's great beer, and this is nothing short of it. This amazing brew is nice and dark, beautiful aromas hit the nose when taking a sip. The taste is complex, just the way I like it. You will pick up flavors of darker fruits, and the sweet bitterness of a dark, baker's chocolate. This beer finishes with a nice bitter aftertaste, not too harsh, not too mellow, just right. And when you are done with it, you get a nice souvenir hanging off of the bottle like a Christmas ornament. That said, I will be using mine on the Christmas tree once again this year. Crazy that the holidays are right around the corner...

Bird is the Word...King Penguin.

Here is what I have been working with lately, it is amazing how quickly they grow...

Hatching.

Day one.

Getting bigger.

Bigger still.

That pretty much sums this little guy/gal up. I plan on getting a few new pictures next week. Even bigger still, this morning it weighed around 11.6kg. Amazing, amazing creatures.

Beer:30... Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout.

When the weather starts to turn chilly here in Ohio, a change also starts in my beer preferences. The IPAs, pale ales, and other hoppy styles of brew start to take a backseat to the more malty, darker, heavier ales that will warm the soul in the cool fall air. For some reason, this is just a normal shift of life. Anyway, a beer that has always been on my list for this time of year, but never ended up on my palate was this:

Enter North Coast Brewing Company's Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout. This is a mammoth of a beer, just the way I like it: Dark, heavy on the alcohol content, and a pleasure on the taste buds. At 9% alcohol, this is not your grandfather's Guinness. Not that there is anything wrong with Guinness, it is a fine brew, but Old Raspy is a whole new ballgame. At double the alcohol content, there are flavors that you will taste that you would never dream of in a normal stout. Hints of chocolate, alcohol and roasted coffee all blend together nicely and also add a nice warming sensation. Such a delightful beer is meant to be taken in slowly. In my opinion, it makes for a great fire pit beer.

This is a style of beer that was made for the long voyage from England to Russia in the 18th century. With such a great taste to this beer, you can tell the folks over at North Coast really know what they are doing, and that they really have an appreciation for history. Especially beer history. This one is a classic.

iBert bicycle seat...

Finally review time for this piece of equipment. I have been using the iBert Safe-T-Seat for around a year and a half, and sadly, I feel our time has come to an end. Here is what I think about it:

The iBert Safe-T-Seat takes a different approach to hauling kids on bikes. Instead of mounting the seat over the rear wheel, it mounts directly to the stem, in between the arms of the rider. This might make some uncomfortable, but here is why I like it:

The iBert gives your child an unobstructed view of the bicycle ride. Now, you no longer have to make your child stare at your back, or backside, while taking them for a ride. While on our rides, we actively talk about what we are seeing, squirrels, birds, other people, etc. It brings me great joy to roll alongside a team kit roadie type, and have my daughter wave and say hello. It breaks even the most die hard, serious cyclist out of their "zone."

Another perk of the iBert is if your child falls asleep, you can see where they are leaning, and normally, they will be leaning onto one of your arms. That is a huge peace of mind to me. Think about your child on a rear mounted seat, leaning to the side, and who knows where those little sleepy fingers might end up. No, not your backside, I am talking about spokes here. That would be a tragic incident, even for my full grown adult digits. That in its self is worth the price of admission.

The only downsides to the iBert in my opinion would be minor. One, the little plastic clips that hold the padding to the plastic seat pop out easily, and become lost pretty quickly. I think we only have one of the three left. Not a huge deal, but I feel it should be mentioned. Another downside, which is one of the perks as well, is the front mounted position. This puts your child in a very bad situation if you would happen to wreck your bicycle. But with most things cycling related, just use some common sense and everything will turn out just fine. 3 foot gaps are landed easily, 6 footers are more of a challenge with the iBert. Kidding! I would not even dream of jumping with this seat.

This seat works best on paved surfaces, but on occasion I have ventured onto light, smooth single track, which is a blast. Slow and steady wins the race, stay away from super technical riding/racing, and the iBert will do what it is supposed to do, hold your child safely.

My daughter in Bicycle Times, actually her second appearance!

Again, my daughter and I have used the iBert for around a year and a half, and sadly our time has come to an end. She will soon be switching to a seat on the back of the Xtracycle, hopefully a PeaPod. She is almost too large for the seat, weight wise she is still okay, but unfortunately she is too tall for it. Luckily my On One Mary bars have a nice bend to allow her long legs to be comfortable for the time being.

Our experience with the iBert has been amazing, and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to give their child a first person introductory view to cycling. Just don't try to jump anything...

Ramble on...

Cargo bikes make the world go round...

When you think of bicycles, normally you think of them as something that you would use for exercise, or possibly recreation, or maybe even for transportation. Would you think of them for hauling cargo? Thankfully, there is a shift in cycling culture in the US. More and more people are starting to use their bicycle as a tool to accomplish tasks that you would normally use a car for. The bicycle is no longer just something to burn off a few calories, it is now your mini van, or your pickup truck. It is used to drop off the kids at school, or to pick up a weeks worth of groceries. It is used to take a week long vacation, or just to ride to work. What is the meaning of all of this random text? I stumbled upon this video, and thought it needed to be reposted:



This is a pretty awesome summary of what it is like to have/ride a cargo bike. It is life changing. It is epic. It is exercise. It is environmentally friendly.

Everyone wants to help save the planet. Not many people however seem to mention how practical and environmentally safe it is to use a bicycle. Want to save the world? Ride a bicycle. Want to do even more, like carry a lot of stuff that normally you would need a car for? Ride a cargo bike.

Much love to the companies and folks who are out there doing this very thing. I am so glad I converted my old MTB to a cargo bike. Want to know how? This is a good start: Xtracycle

Some other links that might be of interest:
Trek Transport
Trek Transport Sale price here in the Cincinnati area, 20" frame with a small ding in the down tube for $840! Normal MSRP $1259.99! That's a deal!
Surly Big Dummy
Soma Tradesman
Black Sheep Bicycles Very pricey custom cargo bikes among other beautiful bicycles.
Kona Ute
Kona Minute
Bullit Cargo
Yuba

A couple more bikes to chew on...

So in my search for the end all be all bicycle, here are a couple more that I have found, which seem to be pretty versatile. First up:

Vassago Fisticuff: Self described as "A love child between a 29er and a cross bike." I couldn't agree more. Clearance for wider 700c 'cross tires, or up to 2.0" 650b, with rack and fender mounts. Seems to be pretty versatile. The only downfall for this is it is a frame set only, which unfortunately I do not have a sufficient parts bin to build on up. Nice bike though.

Second on this short list:

Surly Ogre: This bike has it all. Rack mounts, front and back? Check. Fender mounts? Check. Fatties fit fine? Check. Single speed ready? Check. Mounts for a trailer? Check. Looks like the Surly Troll? Check. This bike is like the Troll's big brother. Basically it is just the 29er version. Amazing. I really think there is not a bike that Surly has done that I have not liked. I am a Surly whore without a Surly, something about that is very wrong.

Two more very nice rides to add to my list. I think at this moment, the two bikes in the contention for my next bike are the Salsa Fargo 2 or the Surly Ogre. Thanks for playing!

Photos from Vassago and Surly respectively.

Ramble on...

Cannondale T500...

Earlier this year I picked up an older Cannondale touring bike for my wife, thinking she might want to ride a bit. Normally I do not go out looking for bikes for her, but I ended up getting an amazing deal on this one. This bike has an interesting story though: My friend has had it in her basement for years, holding it for her friend who needed a place to put it while in college. But this bike was not just some recreational toy, it was ridden completely across the country! My friend's friend, bought it only to ride across the nation, and when she came back home, she stashed it in my friend's basement. Wow. Great history on this bike. So what am I going to do with it?

My plan from the beginning was to turn in into more of an "errands" bike. Sure I have my cargo bike, but sometimes it is just too much. This bike would fill that gap. Also I figured that my wife would like a road bike in this setup, but maybe later in life, as for the moment, no. Luckily, my wife and I share similar size bikes!

Road bars are gone, in their place is an old set of mountain riser bars. Since it was an older bike, it came equipped with a threaded fork. A stem adapter was installed to enable me to use the mountain bars and stem. New Avid FR5 brake levers, and an old Shimano friction shifter round out the bars. The friction shifter will move the Deore rear derailleur across the 8 cogs on the rear wheel. Hopefully this setup works, I do like a single chainring up front. Still more to do, so here are only teaser photos:

Salsa Fargo for the future?

So lately I have been digging around the interweb, doing lots and lots of searching for my next bike purchase. Cargo bike? Check. Road style bike? Check (Well, at least in the process of building, more on that later...) Dirt ready bicycle? No. So my search begins. But hold on, I need more than just a mountain bike, I need something versatile. Here is what I have been debating:

-Surly Cross Check. Seems like this bike is the jack of all trades, does everything decent, but nothing superbly. I have no real idea on that, I have only test ridden one, but that is the jive that I get from reading various online forums. I like that you can fit fatter than normal tires, but not as large as I would like.

-Surly Long Haul Trucker. Mostly the same as above. But, I think I would be on a 54cm, which would put me into the 26" wheel category, which makes me think:

-Surly Troll. I really like this bike. I feel that it with a set of Maxxis Hookworm 2.5's would be the ultimate road bike destroyer. Or at least would be fun to ride. Big positive for it though is I would only have to buy 26" tubes if I bought one. After riding 29ers in the woods exclusively for the past few years, riding on 26's again might be a little weird, which leads to:

-Salsa Fargo. This bike really intrigues me. Ever since it was introduced in 2008, I have always wanted one. Very cool bike that seems to be ready for whatever. Still somewhat road worthy, but basically a big drop bar 29er mountain bike, with every single braze on one could think of. As of today, this is the bike that I am settling on to round out my stable. This is why:

Most of my riding is on paved surfaces. Every chance that I get though, I am looking for somewhere off of the beaten path. And also, every vacation that my family takes, puts us in a prime mountain biking location, where having a CC or LHT might be a drawback. The Fargo seems to do it all. And now with my feet wet on the touring front, this bike only makes more and more sense. I have thought about a hardtail 29er, but I do not feel that I will be happy on a "normal" mountain bike. Like I stated earlier, I need a bike that is versatile, and I feel the Fargo is it so far. So far for now, that is. I change my mind more than my wife changes shoes...

Ramble on...

Wasson Way Project...

If you live in or around the Cincinnati area, you are aware of the rail lines that crisscross the city. One of these lines cuts through the heart, if you will, of the east side. How often do the trains run on these tracks? There has been no traffic for over a year! This 6.5 mile stretch goes from the city of Mariemont all the way to Xavier University. So why all of the talk of a rail line? Why Rails to Trails of course!
The Wasson Way Project wants to turn those unused rail lines into a multiuse path. This path will connect to the Little Miami Bike Path in the city of Mariemont, giving a huge percentage of the city of Cincinnati an easy option for taking a trip on a bicycle!
I am really excited about this wonderful idea. From their Facebook page, they are having a meeting about the project tomorrow night (Wed.) at Hyde Park Florist at 7pm.
Things are looking up for Cincinnati!