Hooray for Fall!

As I was going to bed last night the wind started picking up, and a little bit later it started to rain. It pretty much rained all night. My first thought upon waking was that the trails were going to be in prime shape today. Ok scratch that. My first thought was probably, "I have to pee". And then perhaps, "Where's my coffee?". But after that, I was totally thinking about packed, wet sand. On the way into work we were shocked to see SNOW in the mountains! Getting started early this year!

I got Kristy's Stumpjumper prepped this morning, actually lowering the tire pressure. I knew Jeff P was working today, but he has ways of finding out how much air is in those tires. I took the Weirwolf 2.5 down to 28, and the Rear Specialized Resolution 2.1 down to 30. Pretty much the setup I've been running this week. Kristy seemed to like the lower pressure, commenting that she bounced around a bit less. For myself, I might boost the rear up a couple PSI to 32, and take the front down to 25 PSI. I hit a rock with the rear tire that gave me some concern, but the front tire was fine to go even lower.

Scott and I left our subterranean lair and hooked up with Kristy and Amy on the other side of Main Street. As we approached the girls from a block away I actually saw Jeff P squeezing my wife's tires! We ride through Jeff P's "office" everyday, and I was glad that I had lowered the pressure in Kristy's tires. I'm still not sure if he approved though. I couldn't read the look on his face.

A bit later we hooked up with Kathy and Jon and headed for the dirt. The wet, packed sand was as expected...awesome. We easily climbed up a trail that was too sandy just yesterday! When we got to the top, the girls went and played on the creek trail, and the boys headed back to work.

Hooray for Fall!

Puncture Vine

Puncture Vine
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

Anyone who rides a bike in these parts is familiar with the dreaded goathead thorn. Bike shops probably see hundreds of tube repairs because of these nasty things. Lots of people take drastic measures to combat the thorns, installing slimed tubes, thorn resistant tubes, Mr. Tuffy Liner, etc. Unfortunately all these solutions add quite a bit of rotating mass. This may be ok for the kid whose parents are sick of fixing flats, but to the discriminating cyclist it may be undesirable. Especially if you are a weight weenie.

One solution is to install the Stan's No Tube system. I may do this myself some day. Not necessarily for the no hassles from punctures...just to keep Jeff P. and Marcus off my back. Jeff P. makes me feel like Mr. Whipple! I'm always shooing his pinching fingers away from my "overinflated" tires. But I digress...

The easiest way to avoid goathead thorns is to know what Puncture Vine looks like, and where it likes to grow. The vine grows low to the ground, and often has yellow flowers. The vines can be 1-3 feet long. The thorns are hard to see in the tangled mess of vines.

Puncture Vine likes lots of water, so be on the watch near irrigation. A classic example is a yard that has an area of bare dirt between the front lawn and the road. Many times this type of landscape can look like an appealing shortcut, and lure the unwary cyclist in. I once saw a buddy take a shortcut like this, and his tires were just riddled with thorns. The tubes weren't even worth patching, and it took some work to get all the thorn pieces out of the tire. It's always best to keep to the street or path when riding near sprinklers, rivers, or irrigation ditches.

The good news is that in the Carson City area, you seldom have to worry about goatheads once you are out in the natural terrain away from the houses or natural water sources.

The goathead thorn is the leading cause of flat tires around here. What's the biggest threat to your tubes/tires where you live?

Woo Hoo!

Here at FBC we like to have fun. The word of the day was Woo Hoo! This downhill is dried out and real sandy this time of year, but the high speed keeps you on top of the sand. Although the bottom was a bit treacherous...the bikes were swapping back and forth.

I also tried a new tire combo today. I put the Specialized Resolution 2.1 up front, and a Hutchison Python 2.0 in the rear. This tire combo dropped my hardtail into the 25 pound range, and the bike felt zippier; however, the level of control went down. I was a little crazy coming down the sand hill, and I couldn't attack the rocks like I could before. I felt like I had to be real gentle in the sand over hard pack too. I'd like to experiment with the combo more, but will probably change the tires again for my ride with Kristy on Wednesday. I'm taking Wednesday off work to go ride The Flume Trail!

I also threw away an old half eaten Clif bar that was at the bottom of my gear bag. I thought I might actually eat it some day, but I think I waited too long. It was still soft and pliable. That means it's still good right? Better safe than sorry...

Specialized Resolution 2.1

Specialized Resolution 2.1
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

I just bought this 07 Specialized Resolution 2.1 to replace my old 06 Resolution that was pretty worn out. I was really happy with my 06, since it was a high volume lightweight tire. It made my hard tail feel like a soft tail with the extra air volume. This year they make the Resolution in a 2.1 and a 2.3 with a slightly different knob configuration. I was concerned that the 2.1 would be too heavy, but luckily the guy at the shop let me use the postage scale to weigh the tire. Even with the packaging, the tire was under 600 grams, so I was sold.

After removing the packaging, the tire weighed in at 565 grams. I think that's awesome for a high volume aggressive tire. After mounting the tire, I noticed that the 2.1 is actually smaller than last year's 2.0. I got the ruler out and found that it was still pretty tall compared to the other 2.1's I had in the garage. The knobs are taller this year, and the center knobs are ramped for less rolling resistance. It has a 120 tpi casing, an aramid bead, and dual rubber compound. The center of the tire has a harder rubber compound, while the shoulders have a softer compound for increased grip in turns. I picked the tire up for around $30 at a local shop.

I'm using the Resolution as a rear tire. The tire performs well in a variety of conditions, and rolls quickly thanks to the tread design and lightweight construction. As expected, the higher volume smooths out the bumps on my hard tail. I'm running about 32 PSI of pressure, and there is no danger of pinch flats for XC riding conditions.

I haven't tried it as a front tire, but I know a couple people that didn't like last year's tire in the front. Maybe with the increased knob height of the 07, it'd work ok in the front. I think Brent is using this tire front and rear...maybe he'll comment!


Update: After riding this tire for a couple months I've come to the conclusion that it excels as a rear tire. The center knob configuration felt a bit sketchy for front tire use. I've found that a staggered knobby configuration works best in the front. The WTB Weirwolf and IRC Trail Bear work very well as front tires in my conditions. For rear tire use, however, the Resolution is awesome! Very light, high volume, great climbing and braking traction. Another rear tire that I like is the WTB Mutano Raptor 2.4. This larger tire has clearance issues on some frames though. The Resolution is a good solution for running a taller tire on frames with tight clearances.

Listen to Your Tires

Self Portrait
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

I had a good learning experience this week. I threw an old tire on my Kona Coiler a few weeks ago. The tire is three years old and has lots of miles on it. It's been giving me a few warnings that the tread is all used up, even though visually it looks like there are a few more rides left in it.

I was coming down one of my favorite singletracks, and I couldn't believe the run I was having. It might have been a record. I came around a corner, and the front tire washed out, sending me over the bars. Since the tire and I are old friends, he let me down gently in a nice soft grassy area. I slammed my shoulder and twisted my leg, but there was no blunt force trauma or lacerations.

I thought of how much worse the crash could've been if I'd crashed somewhere rocky. I decided that going forward, I will listen to my tires and just spend the extra dough for some fresh tread!

Susan B

"Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel...the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood."
Susan B. Anthony

Kathy provided us with this quote today, it was rather fitting for me this week. I had a test on Monday so I could not ride. Naturally, I was itching to get out on Tuesday. I even had two rides planed but my front tire was flat! I have watched my mechanic, I mean Brent, change flats before and he has often tried to hold what he calls a "fix a flat clinic" in the back yard. My first thought (as was Kathy's when Mike tried the same thing) was why, my tire is not flat. So I have never taken him up on the offer.

Anyway, I decided to dive in and fix the flat or I was not going to get to ride. I found a thorn on the inside of the tire, removed it with needle nose plyers I borrowed from my IT guy, found the hole in the tube, patched it, and put the tire back on. I am very happy to report it is still holding air and I feel the freedom of self reliance that Susan B speaks of!

I am hanging on to my mechanic though cos he is nice to look at...

Nevegal Follow Up

This a follow up on my earlier post about my new Nevegal 2.35 Stick-E Folding Bead Tire. It's winter of course, so the tire was tested in wet sand, mud, and snow. I mounted the tire on the front of my Kona Kula Primo, inflating it to 30 psi.

Like I mentioned in the earlier post, the tire is 730 grams. This kept the bike feeling quick, and light in the front end for doing wheelies. The tire rolled fairly smooth on the pavement...possibly due to the ramped leading edge of the center knobbies. The lower psi felt a bit squishy when checking the tire by hand, but actually felt awesome on the trail, helping to absorb the rocks on the trail.

In the loose stuff, the center knobbies kept the front wheel straight giving confidence on high speed runs. The cornering was awesome too. I was exaggerating my turns, trying to see how far I could lean the bike over. I never once slid out, causing some big grins!

It'll be a few months before I can test it out on any dry terrain, but I'm really looking forward to it. The big test will be the loose sand...to see how it stacks up to a 2.5 for flotation and stability.

Nevegal

I found a good deal at Pricepoint on the Nevegal 2.35 Stick-E Folding Bead Tire. I've been wanting to try one for a long time, but they've always been a bit expensive. I have the tire mounted, and it will be the front tire on my Kona Kula.

Before mounting the tire though, I put it on the scales. Kenda's website lists the tire as 760 grams (+or- 40 grams). Mine weighed 730 grams! Not bad for such an aggressive looking high volume tire.

I'm curious to see how the Stick-E rubber compound works. Will the softer rubber wear down quickly? Will the sand stick to it and be flung all over my down tube, making little pinging noises?

I'm very excited about the tread pattern. It reminds me of the Dunlop 756's I used run on my old Dirt Bike (Honda CR250R). The center knobs in this configuration always worked better in the sand then the staggered checkerboard style configuration. I'm hoping to see the same performance on the bicycle. The leading edge of the center knobs is ramped for less rolling resistance, and squared on the trailing edge for braking.

I also love low pressure tires. I'm going to run this tire at 30 psi, the lowest recommended tire pressure on the sidewall.

I did some Google searching on the name Nevegal. From what I can find, these tires may be named after a specialty cheese from the Belluna region in Italy. Another possibility is a high speed downhill run in the same area. Anyone got the real story on this?

Unfortunately I won't get to try the tire out for a while, as most of the dirt is now under snow. Stay tuned for the full review...

Results of Wolf vs. Bear

Last weekend I posted Wolf vs. Bear. I wanted to compare the 2.5 versions of the IRC Trail Bear and the WTB Weirwolf, and also see how it would be to run a 970 gram front tire on the single speed. The picture shows the Trail Bear 2.5 on the front, and it's little brother, the 2.25 on the rear (750 grams).

The 210 gram heavier Trail Bear is noticeable from the get-go. It accelerates slower, and makes the front end a bit heavier for wheelies. On the plus side, the tall, closely spaced knobs roll very smoothly, and stick like glue to the trail. The Eastern Sierras are mostly sand (decomposed granite), so shedding the wet dirt was not a problem.

When comparing this tire to the Weirwolf though, I think it falls a bit short on overall performance for XC riding. While the Weirwolf might lose a bit to the Trail Bear in traction, I've always felt in total control with the Weirwolf. It's a very predictable tire. Spinning a half a pound less weight makes the Weirwolf a bit more exciting in the acceleration category, and also makes it more uphill friendly. This is important to me, since I spend most of my time riding uphill.

As I mentioned in the earlier post, the last time I tried this tire was on my 35 lb Kona Coiler. The heavier tire on the already heavy bike made the bike too sluggish for XC use. I was surprised to learn though, that the heavy Trail Bear was acceptable for single speed use. My single speed is 24 lbs, so adding the heavier tire was not a huge penalty. It may also be noted that I am 5 lbs heavier than I was in the summer when I tested the Trail Bear on the Coiler. I didn't feel like I was constantly struggling to keep up with the gang, which was a big problem on the Coiler. Since the Weirwolf that I pulled off the Single Speed is near retirement, I plan to keep the Trail Bear on the SS until something else comes along...which could be a matter of days. The other Jeff has a Panaracer Fire FR 2.4 he wants me to try, and Brent already loaned me a Conti Vertical Pro 2.3 for demo. So many tires, so little time.

I ran the Trail Bear at 35 psi, 5 psi below the sidewall recommendation, with no problems. In fact, I plan to drop it down to 30 psi for the next ride. Every bit of extra suspension you can get is welcome on the rigid fork!

Wolf vs. Bear

I like tires. I mean, I really like tires. There's nothing like the smell of opening up your Pricepoint shipment, and smelling the new rubber. I'd have to say that fresh rubber is what gives bike shops that exciting new bike smell.

Also, tires are the cheapest performance enhancing component on the bike. You can really enhance your ride by picking the right tire for the terrain and conditions. My favorite tires these days are of the low pressure / high volume variety. I ride a lot of sand, and the extra flotation of a larger tire makes a huge difference. The big tires seem to add an inch of travel to your suspension too.

One of my favorite tires up front is the Weirwolf 2.5 from WTB (shown on the right here). The shorter smaller knobs in the center roll quickly, but hook up good. The aggressive side knobs hook up great in turns. The Weirwolf is also the lightest 2.5 tire I've found, weighing around 760 grams when new. The Weirwolf I just pulled off the single speed weighs around 705 grams from all the miles I've put on it. It's been in service on various bikes since the spring of 2004!

But even though I love this tire, I'm always wondering what another tire might ride like. I grabbed an almost new IRC Trail Bear 2.5 (the tire on the left in these pictures) from the library and installed it on the single speed.

I originally bought this tire for my Kona Coiler, a 35lb bike. The tire was advertised at 750 grams, and was only $15! I thought it might compare well to the Weirwolf. As it turns out, the Trail Bear actually weighs 970 grams! I gave it a go on the Coiler, but I just couldn't keep up with the group on the big climbs we do at lunch. It felt unstoppable on the downhill, but most of our lunch hour is spent climbing. It just didn't work out for this application, so the tire went into the pile.

Last week, I was riding with my buddy Jeff, and he had a Panaracer Fire FR 2.4 on the front of his single speed. This tire is advertised at 860 grams, but Jeff was smoking us on the trail. And even though I think Jeff would smoke me no matter what tire he was using, it got me thinking about that heavy tire I put back into the pile. Since my single speed is only 24 lbs, 11 lbs lighter than my Coiler, would this tire be suitable for single speed use? In other words, would 11 lbs less in bike weight make up for a 1/2 lb increase in tire weight? This will be a question I hope to answer this week.

The extra weight on the Trail Bear obviously comes from the more aggressive center knobs, but the sidewalls appear to be a bit thicker too. The low end of the recommended tire pressure is 40 psi, but I think I could easily get away with a psi in the low 30's. The tire looks slightly taller than the Weirwolf, and may give a softer ride up front...a quality that is welcome on the single speed's rigid front fork.

Stay tuned for the results of this week's test...