A lighter wallet = a heavier bike ! WTF ?

:Lets start with the problem.

I normally ride a SRAM 11-32, but felt the fast end of the cogs never really got used - and the 2, 3 and 4 tooth jumps weren't geling with me: 11-12-14-16-18-21-24-28-32

So I found a 13-34 cassette that goes:

13-15-17-19-21-24-27-30-34.

Unfortunately I've emptied my wallet and doubled the weight of the cassette in the process, but after a couple of rides I'm sure I will have convinced myself that it's a good thing.

In the garage I still have my original custom 7 speed cluster from the early 90's on my Klein Rascal : 13-15-17-19-21-23-26...........Got it brand new in the build kit and had it in bits on the workbench before the day was out.....who needed a 28 in 1992 anyway ?

Monkey gets one gear

With the up and coming single speed nationals happening in a few weeks in Rotovegas, the Karate Monkey has dropped a few things:

-28 gears - now running 34 x 20

-1.5 pounds - now weighs in at 24 pounds

It's first ride, sans gears was a disaster - the wheel pulled over about a zillion times. Luckily I was onto my way to work, so it was a worthy excuse to be late.

Thanks to the guys at Surly I am now the proud owner of:http://www.surlybikes.com/parts/tuggnut_pop.html -these are the business and after the installation and second ride there is no more burning rubber on the chainstay.

Just sweet riding.

I dropped the truck off at the mechanics after work and rode home via the Sticky Forest and Outlet (river) trail to home.

I still walked a hill early on - I never said I turned into a smacked up TDF rider just thru having 1 gear.....but riding up Ho Down, which for me on the dualie is a granny/middle chainring affair was just a breeze.

Going down Venus was bumpy in places for sure, but with nothing to do but pedal, carve the corners and occasionally brake it was a blast.

Dublin Back was a smoking descent as was the Sidle track where some kind fellow has trimmed back a few bushes and trees.

All in all, this bike is very cool, a lot of fun and a worthy addition to the stable.

And if some one ponies up with some cash, they can have Keighleys little Klein and then we'll have two Karate Monkeys in the garage.

There is now a monkey in the house

A Surly Karate Monkey in fact.

Had it 3 weeks, but just got it rolling in a satisfactory state this weekend.

Saturday was the proper shakedown - from home to the Sticky Forest and up and down many times, then home again. The absence of front suspension is definitely offset by the 25.5 pound weight, which is surprising - I thought it'd be closer to 30.

Today I towed Emily into town in the trailer to get some groceries - proving that it is indeed a bike of many guises.

Yes, early days in the relationship I know, but so far I'm enjoying have sex with my new bride.

**Footnote** After a quick browse of http://g-tedproductions.blogspot.com/ I realise this is a fairly shallow post.

So, here's the specs;

medium monkey frame, with rigid fork.

Hadley 32 hole hubs (freaking expensive, but V good.

Black spoke, cut by DB the spoke master

Salsa Degado race rims (25mm wide)

Black rubber inner tubes.

Kenda Kharma 29 x 2.2 tires (pretty narrow 2.2 if you ask me)

Cheap shitty 25.4 85mm long stem

Salsa Moto Ace 11 degree flat bars (very cool would get them again)

Ritchey Logic headset - seen better days

Cheap lock on grips - scratched the bars first time I took them off - bah !

Shimano 3 x 9 Deore/ Deore XT shifters (dual release - very nice, but confuses my thumb/index finger)

Avid Juicey 4 brakes - that is 3 levers and 5 calipers....no psringf in the front pads so they rattle.

Hope 6 inch rotors

Suntour XC Pro front derailleur with butchered Shimano plastic spacer to make it fit.

Clapped out Shimano 73 mm square taper bottom bracket
Shimano XTR old school 175mm cranks with 24/34/42 chainrings
Little SPD Shimano pedals
SRAM chain !
SRAM cluster 11-32 !
Shimano XTR shadow rear derailleur - medium cage
Easton seatpost (formerrly Clint Jacksons)
Seat - yes, narrow, slim and not overly comfortable and probably expensive.
Hand made Bike plate - actually a seat plate, made from a pilfered real estate sign.

Probably some other stuff, but you've fallen asleep by now.

First thoughts on the 29er phenomenom

Borrowed one of these off our South Island rep for a week:

So here's my take on it so far. Saturday morning towed Emily in the trailer around the lakefront - very capable in that line of work.

I had already geared it down to a 33 x 20 (John rides a 16), a shorter stem (inverted), narrower clapped out old ti rail saddle and wrapped the WTB grips in road handlebar tape for more comfort as well.

Saturday avo I took it out solo and as soon as I was offroad the chain fell off and continued to do around a very much shortened circuit. Yes, you can tension the chain if it becomes loose, no I did not have an 8mm spanner to assist. :-(

At home after much fettling in the garage and neglection of child minding duties.......I'd changed the rear sprocket about three times all to no avail. put a 1/8 track chain on but it rubbed the bash guard, changed the front chain ring - no good, so in the end put an old circa 1985 21 toother on the back, tensioned it up and went riding with the local mtb club on their first club day of the season.

The bike behaved and I even figured out the cheap front chainring was slightly oval, so took the chain off, rotated the cranks 180, remounted the chain and it all worked in a most harmonious fashion. The high spot in the chainring took up the slack in the chain at just the right time. Sweet.

My aversion to riding off road with rigid forks hasn't left me unable to lift a coffee cup, beer or cup of tea so far. Might be some truth to the 29er forum nerds who say you don't need suspension forks......

1st time Heli Biking

It all came together today. A couple of clients ponied up for the helicopter, Al is the guide and I was there on staff training

>>>>>>>>>Here's how we start off>>>>>>>>

Then a five minute buzz up the ridge with the bikes hanging underneath by a rope. First time in a chopper for me, not unlike sailing really - you have no control and no idea how it's all going. No stress, just plonked the bikes down in the snow, drop the rope, park the chopper and hop out, gather up the rope and that's it for the pilot: off to the next job. Sweet.

We headed off down the fenceline and promptly deposited the yanks over the bars - oops you boys have the brakes round the other way huh ? Lets just change that ! No worries mate. It was kinda steep though, so fair enough.

In no time at all we're down in the tussock - kind off windy still (turns out in Dannevirke trucks were getting blown over today) and following Al. down some imaginery track to some faraway gate. I have no idea where all the time went, but the trip took us about 3 hours loading the chopper to loading the ute....not all downhill, but maybe 95%

Oh did I mention how fresh my legs were at the top of the hill ?

I'm talking fresh.

Here's a pic of your erstwhile blogger enjoying the staff training:

Spring Riding in Wanaka

An early afternoon ride today with the usual suspects:Trish & Callum, Jess & Hugh and Steve from Wastebusters as well.
I was nearly running late for the 12.30 lift off so decided against grabbing the first (and some would say most sensible) bike inside the garage - our demo Commencal Meta 666 dual suspension..........Single Speed - nah..........// Cannondale cyclocross bike ? Now you're talking.
And it was great. Sketchy in places for sure but put the challenge back in riding.....
Into the Hikawai Reserve and along to the Sticky Forest. Up and down and all around for an hour or so and then back home for chow.
Nice to do the same trails, but on a completely inappropriate bike they seem brand new.

1991 Merlin upgrades

Unsure if I've previously blathered on about the Merlin, here's a brief history. Geoff Knotman bought it brand new on the early '90s. It was by far the sexiest bike ever. He upgraded the Deore XT to 8 speed XTR when that first came out. It sat in his garage and was sold to Fred
Christensen 2 years back to finance Jeff's move to a Surly 1x1 singlespeed purchased from Jonty Ritchie. (Notice all the old has-beens popping up?) I got talking to Fred at the Oceania mtb champs....and the deal was done. It duly turned up and has been constantly fettled ever since. I can't disclose how much I paid for it - the Reserve Bank doesn't want me to be the cause of another OCR increase....Te Papa are pleased it is in safe hands of course.
It started off like this :

Then this: mmmm suspension.....Thanks Tom.

Try buying a one inch threaded suspension fork to fit a Chris King headset.........

And after moving to Wanaka and breaking a spoke on Keighleys Ringle wheels and riding Hugh's Orange with disc brakes, well that was that - the Merlin had already re-embraced the XTR drivetrain, - she was getting disc brakes.

And that was when the fun started. Welding disc tabs on? I don't think so Tim.

Going back to rigid forks with disc tabs ? Forget it.

I found a vee brake to disc convertor, swapped my forks legs with Keighley (don't tell) borrowed Callums wide open brakes and promptly replaced the calipers with Formula B4 's that I had liberated from the wheelie bin at Worralls one day ! Currently using the wheels off the Foes as they were close at hand and Al. has lent me some 6 inch rotors.

After all the faffing around I'm not surprised to announce that they stop worse than a badly tuned pair of old worn out cantilever brakes. I will try some new brake pads but am not holding my breath.

Plenty of time to get things sorted before the last N-duro race in October though.

Oh, did I mention it is now also sporting a titanium stem? Woof woof.