Crooked Cog Network

Will the last one to leave please turn out the lights?

Sun, 04 Jun 2017 18:28:16 -0400

Will the last one to leave please turn out the lights?

The last year on this site has been, to put it mildly, slack, and you might have noticed a true dearth of articles as of late. Well, all things on this third rock from the sun have an end and this is my official last post. So before I truly say good bye, let’s reminisce.

It was quite a long time ago now, so far back that I do not recall just when it was, while standing in the Salsa Cycles booth at Interbike and speaking to Gnat, I was introduced to Guitar Ted…mutton chops, knickers and messenger bag. Awesome. I had become a fan of his blog and had become somewhat romantically enamored with the thought of wide open Midwest gravel road riding. It was soooo unlike So Cal that it caught my imagination. So meeting him was a real treat. I was Blogging as well under Vintageone.blog.etc and so he knew me too, but only a little.

At about the same time, two other things…nay three other things…were happening. The rise of the 29″ wheel was one of them. Still a toddler, it was gaining Mo’ like all big wheels do. Another thing was my experience on my first 29er, a Karate Monkey (natch). The third thing that happened was ownership of the site twentynineinches.com being dropped into Guitar Ted’s lap all of a sudden, where previously he had been just a contributing writer.

I was fresh out of being the Editor of a 4 wheel drive site (also Grannygear there) and was looking to perform the same type of role involving bikes, mountain biking being something I had been passionate about for more than 25 years. A bit of corresponding between us, some writing here and there and voila: A relationship was formed between Guitar Ted and Grannygear that lasted right up until a couple of years ago when he moved on into the gravel world full time at ridinggravel.com. Over those years we would only meet maybe once a year, either at Interbike (we both hated Vegas) or at Sea Otter. We reviewed hundreds of products, attended all kinds of media launches, and sat up many late nights writing articles so others could experience what we had examined and tested. We never had a written contract. Never had an argument. Never a cross word between us.

At times it was exhausting. At times it was splendid and rewarding. At all times it was about bikes and riding them and making them better and better. It was never about the money, in fact there really was no money in it, not like you might think. Those details are not important, but I never had one paycheck from TNI and I never cared one bit. Oh sure, there were some advertisers but that covered Guitar Ted’s expenses and efforts. And there were perks of course in swag, etc, but you can’t pay your mortgage with tires or eat a new brakeset.

This twentynineinches thing was from the heart.

We never took a bribe. We always told you like it was from our perspective…the average guy enthusiast, not the flinty racer or young DH fan…no, just a couple middle aged guys who had been around since way back when with noses for BS and a love for big wheeled bikes. And we never claimed to be anything else but just that.

But things change. Guitar Ted and I would talk about what would happen when 29ers became “just another mountain bike”. Well, that happened. The fever pitch was cooling off. When 27.5 came around, the phones at TNI.com stopped ringing for that entire year as all the engineering budgets and marketing efforts of the big and medium companies were focused on the ‘tweener’ wheel size. Just try and get a 29er for review when all they want to sell is 27.5. We rode them you know, those middle wheel bikes. Big old “MEH!”.

Our thoughts were that 27.5 was a semi-big flash in a what really is a fairly small pan (the bike industry) and the needle would swing back to 29ers…maybe not for bigger travel bikes, but certainly for XC and for trail riding; not for everyone, but for a lot of people, and that there would be unsold 27.5 hardtail XC bikes sitting in warehouses at some point when enough folks figured all this out. Oh yeah…along with lots of Fat Bikes.

And we were getting a bit tired of it all, this reviewing biz. At some point you just get to where you want to ride a bike. Not think about how it is to ride it or analysis as you go or what can I say about yet another open source mold Chinese 29er hardtail? And when it is no longer fun and it is not about the money, then the reasons to continue are hard to come up with.

Big JeffJ and Stache VS. Stache: Plus is here to stay.

Then Plus came along. Man…never saw that coming at all. My first ride on a 27+ bike at a Scott Bikes Press Camp was revelatory; like the first time I rode a 29er. Huge AHA! moment. I knew that this was going to be big and that a lot of people were going to love this new Plus thing. I know I do. It’s all I ride now. In fact I only have one 29er and that is my SS and that is for sale. Amazing. I went from a garage full of 29ers to 2 Plus bikes (hardtail 27+ for bikepacking and an FS 27+ for all-a-round nuisance-ry). I just bought my wife a 27+ Santa Cruz Tall Boy. S0 that is one more 29er we are not riding. To quote Vizzini, “Inconceivable!”

As well, I had been doing a lot more road riding. I now ride road as much as 50% of the time and when you add in the gravel bike, that number goes up. SO here I am writing for a 29er only site and riding a LOT of road, gravel (neither of which fit on the site) and rolling fat in the dirt on Plus tires. Not even 29+ tires for cryin’ out loud!

The last couple of years have seen some seasons in our lives as well, Mrs. Grannygear and I. Both of her parents passed away after long illnesses and that takes a lot of mental and emotional energy. Last year the Missus took a hard crash off the road bike and in the process, we discovered she had a heart arrhythmia. All is well, but as we age we adjust to keep moving ahead. And I am aging as well. I am slower and more cautious these days and much less likely to push the limits of a product just to see how it works, something a reviewer is called upon to do.

And while I could limp along and keep writing for TNI.com (I do not own the site…that honor belongs to c_g), the bike industry is really hurting…things are lean and unless you are among the top level websites, it is hard to get invites to press launches or product to review. It would require a huge effort on my part for keep the wheels turning and the lights burning bright, something I have neither the time or the energy to do. It’s either 100% or not at all, as far as I can see.

29ers are hardly dead though. Quite the contrary. And just look at the long travel 29er now for even pro-level DH! WOW! I would bet that would have never happened and likely I wrote that somewhere (but I never saw Boost and 1x dominance either…something that made Plus and bigger 29ers package well).

I have been truly blessed by this experience. I know it was not an accident that I met GT at IBike that day. The years working with him were fun and I was always struck by his perspective on the Bike Industry, his integrity about this whole reviewing deal, and his humility as a human being. It was also a pleasure to work with c_g for a while as he stepped into ownership of the English/North American site when GT left. He still runs the German version. Both are fabulous men to know and God honoring individuals.

I got to ride in some great places and on some great (and some not so great) bikes. I had a look into a very small, rarified world…the world of the cycling media…and it was swell. Truth be told…I always thought that as soon as they figure us out they will be bringing in ‘the hook’ to exit us stage left….that feeling of “I really don’t belong here with all these other SERIOUS journalists”. But what I found was, by and large, they are just normal folks too that put their baggies on one leg at a time.

The best part of my time here were the people. I met some really great folks in this biz; passionate, smart, talented people that really love bikes and want them to be as good as they can be. A few of those relationships have transcended the business side of all this and I now count them as true friends. How fortunate.

I got to share a coffee with Gary Fisher in an airport in France. He told me about the old days when he dropped into Crested Butte in a helicopter to ride the Pearl Pass route and how he is still a bike and a bike-people loving guy after all these years. Thanks for the big wheels, hippie man. Joe Breeze and I talked about what makes a steel bike great. I could have sat for hours and talked to Bill Shook of American Classic about rim and wheel design. Why Tom Ritchey does things his way. I rode with Deadly Nedly. Got quality hugs from Ruthie Matthes (please recycle…she likes that). Rode in a chairlift and on trail with Rebecca Rusch.

It’s been swell and I loved being a part of it. God is great and His blessings are abundant.

So what now, Grannygear? Well, I have some ideas. I am not done thinking about cycling and I still love it to death. I have a website that I might just bring to the light. Not a review site really, just a fancy blog I guess, but it will be from the heart and mind of a cyclist these 30 odd years who still has something to say.

contactpatch.net. Keep an eye on that space this year as I consider the possibilities.

Keep riding. Bikes are an amazing conveyance and are soul filled in a way that still surprises me after all these years. Keep pedaling till the sands run out and don’t look back. Nothing is better than a bike for keeping your eyes on the horizon.

Thanks for reading.

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

WTB Ranger 2.25 29er: First Impressions

Sat, 18 Feb 2017 18:18:18 -0500

We got puddles a plenty

Rain. Rain. Rain.

Amazing, Biblical amounts of rain is what we have been experiencing here in So Cal. The local reservoir, once 100′ below waterline, is now full. The soil is barely able to hold anymore water. Creeks are running that have not run in years. There are puddles everywhere and frogs are popping up like magic, filling the evenings with a chorus of croaks and making for challenging trail obstacles…don’t squish the frog please.

So it has set the tone for the testing of the WTB Ranger 2.25 29er tires which we began talking about here. I have had them on the singlespeed, which in this Plus fueled madness that I have been feverish with, happens to be the only 29er I have right now.

That in itself is quite amazing, but I digress.

So I have had plenty of time on them in moist soil conditions, but not really mud in the true sense. You see, we have a mix of clay soil and sand here. If it is clay soil and it is really wet, it is like gumbo and nothing will roll though it unscathed. You can hardly even walk through it.

And the sandy soil is fine no matter what. Winter rains just harden the surface and make it more rideable.

Now when the clay soil dries a bit, it turns into ‘hero dirt’. You can drag an elbow on your cross bike on that stuff, the cornering traction is so high. All this to say that I have not been able to truly get the WTB Ranger 2.25 29er tires into the normal conditions I would have them in….hard pack, sandy kitty litter over hard pack, rocks and ruts, etc.

Still I do have some first impressions and they are all favorable for the WTB Ranger 2.25 29er tires.

Past flood victim, no doubt. Missed the ark.

Sandy soils tend to self clean well, but even the clay has not been bad at all on the Rangers.

Sizing seems to be right on at 2.2″ by my calipers and that is on a narrow rim at 21″ internal. I would expect them to gain some width on the current crop of wider rims. They only look slim to my eye after coming from so much time looking down at 3.0 tires.

Tubeless-wise they have been stellar, losing barely any air at all in between rides. No weepy sidewalls, etc. I could not get them over the rim wall of one set of American Classic rims (older 29er rims) but they worked fine on the American Classic 101 rims on another wheel set. TCS can be a bit persnickety as to what rim they will and will not fit. I also put them on a set of DT Swiss Spline 1 wheels from a couple of years ago with no issues.

Another image of wet trails. Sense the trend?

The rolling performance seems to be quite good. On pavement I feel and hear very little vibration/noise. Not much drag either. I expect these will spin up well on hard dirt roads. Handling seems to be dead neutral. The knobs do not have any big rows of void where cornering becomes great only when you are either hard over or straight up. I don’t feel any vagueness in the transitions.

As I said, the dirt needs to dry up a bit before I can get a feel for what they do there, but looking at them I expect these to be a solid performer for most anything but an aggressive rider that is really driving hard, and then we should be looking at a tire more suited for that with bigger knobs, etc. Perhaps like WTBs Trail Boss. But for general XC and light to medium trail use, I bet these will just quietly do their job with little attention or complaints.

On the wet soils they have cleaned out decently well, but really, I hardly feel like I am qualified to talk about a good mud tire. Still, they have not scared me at all, but we don’t don’t have wet roots and such to deal with. I would not, by looking at them, think “heavy mud tire” but I could be wrong.

The Stumpy Carbon SS…the last remaining 29er in the shed.

I will hope for drier days ahead as well as getting these into the hands of another rider on a bike capable for pushing them a bit harder to see how they perform.

Until then I am betting they will be turn out to be a fine all-rounder for the average XC type bike.

Note: The products shown here were provided at no cost to Twenty Nine Inches for test and review. We are not being paid, nor bribed for these reviews and we will strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

Lake MX228 MTB Cycling Shoes

Tue, 31 Jan 2017 15:00:05 -0500

I have been running around in a set of these shoes since late summer, and unless I was in a pair of insulated winter shoes, these have been all I have worn since then. I rode in them this morning as a matter of fact. So that has been enough time and miles and pedal strokes and foot falls to sort them out I think.

For all-round use, not something niche like bikepacking, I want a shoe with a good blend of trail-worthiness and pedaling efficiency. That is not an easy target to hit. The sole needs to be stiff enough to get the power out the other end and not bother my foot yet be decent when I need to get off the bike and hoof it. So something with some flex and a sole not too slippery is a godsend.

I do have two sets of what I would call full on race level MTB shoes, one from Specialized and one from Shimano. I do wear them on occasion, but they are a bit less than great off the bike and over stream bed crossings, etc. Both of those shoes are nudging the $400.00 mark.

Used and only slightly abused, the Lake MX228s seem to be non-plussed.

The Lake MX228 is at the $250.00 mark, so while it is in the upper level budget wise, it is hardly nosebleed pricing. And while that $250.00 cost does seem like a lot for a shoe just to ride a bike, it is not so much these days and should be getting you a very durable, well fitting shoe with Boa, etc. A great pair of shoes is something well worth reaching for. It matters. Poorly fitting or poorly designed shoes suck the life out of your feet over long miles.

Lake is a shoe company that makes cycling shoes, not a bike company that also has shoes made for them. This point was made for me when I was talking to the Lake marketing folks. From the Lake website:

We match the fit to the function of every shoe we make. The footwear comfort & performance needs of cyclists are not only dependent upon the type of riding they will do, but also their gender & how hard they ride. This theory goes beyond materials & construction methods to the actual foot form (the “last”) around which a shoe is built to determine whether a shoe meets a particular need. Instead of trying to make one or two foot shapes fit every rider, we have created a variety lasts to meet most riders needs. The following descriptions will help you choose the model which best meets your needs.

Visit our Shoe Lasts page for help in choosing the Lake shoe model that best meets your needs.

Since 1982 Lake has innovated new categories in the cycling shoe market. Mountain Bike Shoes were inexistent until Lake produced the first shoe designed specifically to handle the rough terrain and stiff enough to not cause foot fatigue and the same could be said for the fat bike boot that was designed a decade before the competition ever conceived that this was a category for cycling. Not many companies are focused primarily on the foot and neither are they making only footwear; however, Lake remains resolute in our focus, to make the most comfortable, best performing cycling shoe in the market.

We hope you will join the family of Lake Shoe Supporters who will wear your cycling shoes long past their expiration date.

Looking at the MX228, this is what we see:

MX Competition Last – Featuring a larger toebox & tighter heel than the Comfort last but with less overall volume than the Sport last. Exceptionally secure for hard riding/racing with enough room in the toebox to prevent binding when running up inclines or negotiating a hike-a-bike section. Designed for performance riding & racing.

I am wearing a size 11/45 in the standard width. Many Lake shoes come in Wide lasts as well, so you flatfooted duck walkers can spread out in comfort. I typically wear a 10.5/11 so they are right in there. Nothing weird sizing wise. I wore them often with a set of wool socks in a mid to heavy weight and still had toe room. I like the roomier toe box these have as compared to something like the S Works shoes I have.

The fastening is part Boa and part velcro and that has served well. The Boa dial pulls up with a loud *click* and then you can unspool it quickly with a tug. Pop it back down and ratchet it to the desired tension. All Boa dials/systems are replaceable and the shoe comes with the tiny tool to do that.

Looking at the Lake MX228, it looks rugged enough. The sewn-on toe cap is rubber-ish and there is a side section of it on the outsole at the heel too. There is not a lot of meshy-ness or venting in this shoe, something that actually has been great for Fall/Winter riding. I am not sure I will feel this way about it in July, however.

The outsole is decently lugged and you can run toe spikes if you like. It is not too hard a rubber material, so it really feels great walking on hard surfaces. From coffee shop floors to stream bed rocks, I always felt secure in them. As well there is a section of this rubber in the arch area between the heel and the ball of the foot. Nice. No man’s land is well covered. I noted that they seem to be wearing very well. The sole looks used but really not worn at all. No chunks or heavy abrasions. I had a pair of chi-chi Shimano shoes that looked like tiny woodchucks came at the sole after a hike-a-bike.

I weighed them at 813g a pair with SPD cleats and some mud in there. Light enough I think for any real MTB rider to be happy.

There are no trick insoles with magic buttons or wedgies in them but I never seemed to need that either.

So how have they been to live with over these months? Quite good. I have only noticed two issues to the negative. One is that I seem to be very sensitive to getting the straps/Boa too tight. Now that is true with any shoe, but I seem to notice it more with these. So that is just a matter of getting the tension right.

The other thing is a lot of heel movement when walking. Like heel lift. Lots of that. Even if I really snugged them down to the point of discomfort and numbness I never got rid of that heel lift. Compared to some other high end shoes, like a set of Shimanos with that Cats Tongue fabric in there, these let you move a lot. Now then I never felt that riding, only walking/hiking. If I were to be doing a LOT of hiking in them, it would be a bother, but I am not sure if I care for the occasional run-up. In fact those Shimano shoes with the ultra-secure heel deal…I had to do a forced march out a couple of miles in them with a broken buddy and I could barely walk for days afterwards as my calves were so sore….really like crippled sore, right at the lower section of the muscle. I wondered if the lack of heel slip in the shoe and the stiff as all get out sole actually stressed my body to make up the difference as I walked up and out of the hills. Dunno, so maybe some give is OK.

You can see the little mesh vent between the spike points

I like them very much and they seem to be wearing very well, which is nice for $250.00. I have had them completely muddy and wet and they dried with no drama. I do notice there is a mesh open port on the forefoot of the sole, so if you step in a puddle, you will get a wet ball of the foot like right now. I have to assume this is a drain and Lake figures you are going to be getting really soaked anyway, drain or not, so there might as well be a place for the fish to swim back out.

With the fine construction and variety of lasts they offer, including Wide sizes, Lake has a shoe-centric approach to cycling that is worth experiencing for yourself.

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

Ethos Components Helmet Light – The Wrap

Fri, 27 Jan 2017 21:32:21 -0500

Getting ready to head out with the newest light from Ethos, the 1000L.

We began by looking at a set of the fairly new to the marketplace Ethos Components series of helmet lights designed for MTB night riding adventures. Since that time I have used them for almost all my night rides, both as a hemet light and as a bar mounted light, typically in combo with one each. I have used all the Lumen levels they offer as well as all the lens options, so I think I have a good feel for the product. Let’s see how they fared.

To recap, this is what Ethos says about the lights from their website:

Our integrated helmet light is the versatile light you will keep in your pack. With a small space saving design and composite materials your helmet light weighs in at 85 grams. Giving you a total system weight of just 100 grams. That’s weight you won’t feel when the light is mounted on your helmet. Though this light is small and light weight, it generates solid output up to 800 lumens [Now offering a 1000L option. Editor] with a warm neutral colored beam. This increases your trail comprehension while riding as well as provide a more comfortable night riding experience.

WHATS INCLUDED?

1 x Integrated Helmet light
1 x Helmet / Handlebar Mount
1 x Instruction Manual
1 x Helmet Strap
1 x Metal Tin package
2 x Random Ethos Stickers
2 x Handlebar Rings
2 x Button Covers

It’s a nice package, all contained in the metal box that can be re-purposed or used to store the lights. The instruction manual is pretty complete, taking you through the programming process and the modes available. Not listed in the above text is a charging cord, mini/USB type, but it’s in the box too.

The light is nice looking and sleek in its simple, carbon tube and alu caps construction. It is light too, and with the 18650 lithium ion battery inside, is all self contained and ready to travel.

There are some standout things about the light that are unique or at least uncommon. One is the ability to charge out of the Ethos light with the USB port. So an iPhone or other device can be charged from the light, at least as long as the Ethos light has greater than a 35% charge. That is pretty cool. Of course, it will also drain some of the battery power that is available for the light to use.

Here, with the clear cover off, you can see the tiny switch/button that controls it, the charging port, and the USB port for giving life to your failing iPhone, etc. Neatly done. Some thinking went into this.

The other very unique feature is the tactile feedback. Whenever a button is pressed to power up or down, change states, etc, there is a vibration that signals the affected change. In short, it buzzes. At first I thought, “who cares?”, but later on it made sense.

With three lenses now…Trail (flood), Spot, and the new 1000 Lumen lens which is more flood than spot, you can mix both the lens and light output depending how you order them. I have used a 600L with the spot lens, an 800L with the Trail (flood) lens, and the new 1000L with the only lens it comes with.

Regarding light output level and lenses as I see it all based on lots and lots of years enjoying night riding and building my own lights:

There are people that really like a high output helmet mounted light. In that I mean over a 1000 lumens. I do not. I prefer the most light to be coming from my bars and the helmet light to fill. The reason for this is, when your helmet light is very powerful, it tends to make the shadows disappear due to the high angle of the light washing out the shadows in the trail. I would rather have the most intense light coming from a flatter angle and the helmet light used for fill, looking around corners, etc.

I prefer not to ride with a helmet light only. I like to climb with a bar mounted light on low, or medium at the most. Having only a helmet light means I am always looking where the light is, even if I am talking to someone riding besides me and I turn my head.

And a cardinal rule: Never go out with only one source of light, just for the sake of safety. Things happen.

So my prime combo would be a bigger light on the bars doing most of the heavy lifting and a lesser light on the helmet filling in the details. Now as far as lenses go, I began with the 800L with the Trail/flood lens on the bars and the 600L on the helmet with the spot lens. In combo this gave me a very wide and artifact free, floody light spill off the bars, but not a lot of reach. The 600L spot was good enough to get out there farther, but not all that far, but in close the brighter spot of the helmet light was actually annoying. It was like those cat videos where you see the feline following a laser pointer beam around…I would see the spot as more intense than the bar mounted flood and my eyes went to that.

I wondered if I should have the flood on the helmet instead and when I was able to sample the 1000L version, I ran that on the bars and the 800L flood lens on the helmet. That was very nice and blended into a very effective combo for trail use.

Now I say all this with a big disclaimer. These are HELMET LIGHTS, yet they obviously will be and are being run on the bars too. So I used them both ways and that pointed out some good things and bad things, which we will keep in perspective as we go along.

I always used it Trail Mode, never any other. No commuter settings, etc. There are five distinct ‘modes’ you can get the Ethos Components lights into.

So the good and the bad, as I see it, with the Ethos Components helmet light, and then a recco-mendo.

The Good:

The form factor is excellent. On a helmet it is barely noticed weight wise and it does not intrude up into space much at all.
The helmet mount is a nice deal. The light just clips into it but keeps it secure. As well, if you catch it on a tree limb, it would pop out, not hang you up on the branch like a Saturday morning cartoon, snatching you off your bike. The mount is the typical velcro strap which will work really well or sort of well, depending on the vent setup of the helmet. For instance on my Specialized Ambush, the vents line up perfectly to put the Ethos Components light at the proper angle for best line of sight down the trail. Since there is no way to adjust the angle of the mount with tilt, you have to get that right by where it is placed on the helmet.

The helmet mount on my Specialized Ambush helmet was a dead-on fit in the perfect place for angling the beam where I wanted it. Lucky me.

The Ethos Components light has more levels of battery status than most lights do. For instance, one light I have shows a green LED status until it goes below 25% then it goes red. Well, that allows you to begin a ride at 27% battery life and not know it. I appreciate the added info of battery status the Ethos Components light gives me.
Charging is fast enough.
The lights gave me a quite decent amount of run time, with the exception of the 1000L version. I typically ride 1.5 to 2 hours at night so I would run the bar light on low a lot for putting along and climbing and then Med/High the rest. The helmet light would only come on for faster sections of dirt road or singletrack. I typically would only see one to two drops in battery status on the bars, and one to none at all on the helmet light on the 800L and the 600L lights. On the 1000L version, I would see as much as 4 levels in battery status in one ride.
The mode changing while riding is pretty simple, only requiring a light and brief tap on the button. The tactile ‘buzz’ is nice when on the helmet as it lets you know you made a change, when you might not see it clearly in a group setting with everyone’s lights on as well, or when you have heavy gloves on and are not sure you hit the button. As easy as it is to pull it out of the helmet mount, you can just remove it, change modes, and then snap it back in without removing your helmet.
The beam patterns are clean and even with no annoying fringing or odd patterns.
The warmer tint LEDs are nice on the eyes and let you see trail detail well, but do not appear a ‘bright’ as a whiter LED does. I like it. The 1000L version is a bit cooler in that way, being more to the white than the others, but is still warmer than the typical LED lights coming from overseas.
Made in USA. That’s nice.
No hidden modes for maximum Lumens. Some lights now make high lumen claims, but that ‘blast’ mode is only accessed by secret button pushes and magic incantations.

The less than good:

That button on the back. Let’s talk about that. I had two lights that gave me fits. All of it revolved around getting that removable, clear button to work well with the tiny function button underneath it. I would press and get no response or a delayed response and it was maddening. One was traced to a bad mix in the clear button (it was too soft) and it would just deform rather than do what it was supposed to do. The other light developed a sticking function button on the circuit board that would hang up and not release. Both were taken care of by Ethos and the ones I have now have been fine. But If there is one thing that I find fiddly on the light, it would be that button deal. You have to remove it for charging. OK. But it can be lost then. You have to put it back in just so and make sure it is seated well in the groove or it will either not work or will fall out on trail. And while you can turn the light on or off and change light levels without that clear button cover thingy, you will not be able to do that well or at all when riding and with gloves on as the actual function button on the light is teeny tiny.

Here is the back cover in place ready for action.

Here it is out of the light.

I always ran the light in the mode that requires a double tap on the button to power up. Other wise it is too easily turned on when in a gear bag. Most lights require a long press on a more guarded button to power them up, not a gentle, single tap. Even so, I still had one turn on in my bag even when set to a double press for ‘on’. Fiddly again IMO.
The helmet mount is a lousy bar mount. It just is. But, keep in mind the name here…Ethos Components HELMET light. So although a better bar mount is in the works, I sourced a light mount designed for flashlights from Two Fish for like 8 bucks or so. The simple double rubber block with velcro straps works incredibly well for the Ethos Components light on the bars.

This is the light mount shown holding the 1000L light to my bars on the 6Fattie in the first pic.

The charging cord can also depress the power/mode button on the light when I am charging it. The white one included with the light is better for preventing this, but some of the ones I keep plugged into my USB charging station are a bit fatter at the plug end and will not quite work.
Sometimes when I change light levels, I will get a two level change, which I wonder is related to the vibrator affecting it, as by then, I am no longer pressing the button.

I only have a couple of rides on the new 1000L version that has a triple LED array and a quite floody lens. I think it would be better on the helmet due to the limited throw of the beam and the lesser run times (even with a bigger internal battery capacity). But it is brighter compared to the 800L flood and has greater throw. For a bar mount, as my prime light, I would want longer run time. I do not have the cost at this time for the 1000L, so get in touch with Ethos or any local dealer.

Here on the left you can see the 1000L version with the triple LED and the 800L with the Trail lens is on the right.

So in some ways, the Ethos Components light has annoyed me with some of the fiddly issues, some were resolved under warranty and are not a big deal at all, and some are built into the design of the light and are not so easily changed if at all. But overall, I think as a helmet light, which is what it is intended for, it is the best I have used. The light weight and smart size, the tactile feedback…all make it swell when worn ‘up there’. On the bars it may or may not be enough, depending on what you need, but overall, when used in combo, I have seldom wanted more light.

So how would I do this if I was to order after all this testing? Well, it would depend on what I had on the bars. Lets say I have an 800L with spot on the bars. With that spot lens in it it has as much reach as the 1000L (IMO), but not as broad a spill. Yet the 800L seemed to have noticeably longer run times. Then I could run an 800L Trail/Flood on the helmet.

Or if I have something like a 1500L light on the bars, I would step down into a 600L Trail/Flood for the helmet just to fill in the details/corners, etc. as I would not care so much about having the helmet light reach down the trail.

The most versatile light for the helmet is likely the 1000L, although I think that is over done power wise for my way of liking a helmet light to function. If that is your only light, helmet mounted, it would be the one to go to as the beam is very nice and even and is brighter than the 800L, but the lesser run times and limited punch at greater speeds would need to be considered.

I would pick the 600L in the trail beam as a great choice for singletrack riding and overall use to fill in where the main bar light is not pointing. I would even like to have one more mode where it is just ON and OFF, High (600L) only. For $99.95, it is the best bargain light of the three.

On another note, if I were to run these as a commuter/city light, I would run either the 600L or 800L (depending on how much light I needed) and for sure with the Spot lens for more distance over the road.

Ethos is doing some neat things here and I know he is not done bringing out new products to the market. Even though I went through some tiny, but frustrating issues with the light, I still got many good, trouble free rides in and I see little else that I would choose as a helmet light over these. As a bar light, I think they fall a bit short for me, but then again they were designed to go up top. If they ever

Endura MTR Shell Jacket

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 13:25:59 -0500

The MTR line of clothing from Endura has become my favorite among all the offerings that the clothing company, based in Scotland, has in its broad line of goodies. I have used and loved the MTR Windproof Jerseys, the MTR glove, and the MTR Emergency Shell.

Now I have been running around in the new Endura MTR Shell Jacket over this past Fall/Winter in So Cal.

From the Endura website:

Fast and light – packable, waterproof protection
Highly breathable, lightweight Exoshell40™ 3 Layer waterproof fabric
Ergonomically positioned stretch shoulder panels
Fully seam-sealed construction
Stretch waterproof cuffs and sides
Detachable hood
Athletic, non-flap fit
Hidden loop for quick and easy packing
Don’t let your jacket slow you down

Now I have gotten a lot of use out of the MTR Emergency Shell in that bright orange color. Minimal and close fitting, I have stuffed that into many a jersey pocket or frame bag and crawled into it when a fast descent required a wind barrier or the rains came. I have not found it to be exceptionally breathable, but tolerable when I consider the strong points: Packability, wind-proof, and very rain resistant if not outright waterfast. As well the cut is non-flapping and the color is high vis enough to use on the streets, but it is not what I would take for more expedition/bikepacking use. It is a bit too minimal for that.

The MTR Shell Jacket takes that usefulness up a notch with a removable hood and some fabric changes that make it a wiser choice for a more full-featured approach to a weather barrier jacket, yet without getting too bulky.

Here is how Tim Hayes, master of all things Endura marketing, compared the Emergency Shell to the MTR Shell Jacket:

“I think it out performs the Emergency Shell on two major fronts: breathability and functionality. This new shell that you wore [the MTR Shell Jacket] has a three layer fabric that increases air circulation and does not rely on the older 2.5 layer technology of a printed membrane to circulate air (ie:Emergency Shell), and I am a huge fan of the removable hood. This function allows for full coverage while out in the field and even off of the bike – thus a lot of bike packers have been finding it a great piece as it packs down super small and is easily packable.”

Looking at the Endura MTR Shell Jacket, there are obvious panels of different fabric sewn into the garment. At the shoulders and running down to the under-arms is a stretch panel that goes a long ways towards letting the jacket ‘give’ when you reach forward to the bars. I have long arms and decently broad shoulders for my slim build, but even so, I do not get any hint of the sleeves riding up when I reach out to arms length. I can feel that ‘give’ in the shoulder panels working for me. Also, embossed on those panels are some rubbery/silicon grip dots that are designed to keep your hydration pack straps in place rather than sliding down on slippery, wet fabric.

That more purple fabric is stretchy and allows for a nice, forgiving fit.

The grippy dots embossed on the stretchy shoulder panels.

The length is just right in the LG size I wore for my 6’2″, 190lb frame. The tail is quite long and has a silicone grippy band on the inner side. The front hem is moderately cut in length, being more toward the race/road/gravel bike cut instead of longer over the baggys look. Actually it is just right IMO, for the MTR idea.

The collar has some fleecy-ness and is tall and quite snug when zipped all in. The zipper itself is more significant as compared to the MTR Emergency Shell. Better to survive the wilds that way.

That is a tall collar but it never bothered me. Some fleece helps.

Overall the cut is enough for me to get a base T and a long sleeve thermal, midweight jersey under it and still not feel cramped in it, but much more would be iffy.

Other thoughts:

The breathability is better than the MTR Emergency Shell. How much so? Not sure, but IMO it is a step up. No venting though, so there will be limits.
The hood is a nice touch and could go a long, long ways to keeping you from getting hypothermic in bad weather. It is fine when worn under a helmet. I would point out that the tiny snaps that hold it to the jacket might be a bit of a struggle to accomplish with cold, numb fingers and fat gloves, especially the two sets under the hidden collar flap. Maybe that is a place for magnets. As well, just what do you do with the hood when you do not want it on the jacket? Unless I expected really bad weather, I would likely run sans hood, but where to store it? I wonder if there could not be an inner pocket or set of snaps that the hood could store in/mount to? Dunno.

That little fold and tiny hood flap snaps would be tedious and persnickety with cold digits and gloves.

The color is fine for MTB riding, but if I were bikepacking and there were cars involved in the route, I would want a brighter color. There are some reflective bits and pieces on the garment.

There is an internal, secret, hidden, elastic loopy thing under the back of the collar that allows you to roll the Endura MTR Shell Jacket up and keep it in a tidy bundle.
The sleeves are not up to getting over a set of heavier gloves, especially when removing the jacket. In that sense, having cuffs that would open more would be better, but then that would begin to get beyond the MTR light and fast approach. Keep adding features and soon you would be wanting a pocket!

I used it in the Autumn winds and for night rides where I wanted the cold air to stay off of damp jerseys. Used that way it was fine and snug. I took it out on an hour long rain ride where it stayed completely secure and allowed no water to get anywhere it should not have. For an MSRP of $199.99, the Endura MTR Shell Jacket seems to be a contender. You can spend more and you can spend less in that sense, but Endura, from what I have seen so far, offers good value for the duckets.

Blurry, rushed photo before the rain could kill my iPhone. One hour of this did not phase the MTR Shell Jacket.

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

Thanks For Reading!

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 23:14:28 -0400

Important Announcement! The Crooked Cog Network has announced that it will no longer be supporting its various websites. Current content will remain up for archival purposes, but new posting will be either sparse or ceasing altogether. Look for former Crooked Cog writers to be posting information and news on “The Cyclist”. (http://www.thecyclistsite.com ) Please bookmark this [...]

Important Announcement!

The Crooked Cog Network has announced that it will no longer be supporting its various websites. Current content will remain up for archival purposes, but new posting will be either sparse or ceasing altogether.

Look for former Crooked Cog writers to be posting information and news on “The Cyclist”. (http://www.thecyclistsite.com ) Please bookmark this new location and thanks for reading The Crooked Cog Network family of websites.

Is The Triple Crank Dead?

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:35:43 -0400

Editor’s Note: This piece first ran on The Bike Lab recently. We re-post it here for your consideration. Recently there has been a flurry of rumors and products that might indicate that the triple ring crank may be in danger of becoming extinct. Not only on road bikes, where the move to compact cranks has been [...]

Editor’s Note: This piece first ran on The Bike Lab recently. We re-post it here for your consideration.

Recently there has been a flurry of rumors and products that might indicate that the triple ring crank may be in danger of becoming extinct. Not only on road bikes, where the move to compact cranks has been well established, but also for the mountain bike. The signs of the triples demise are hard to miss. Let’s take a closer look.

Innovations like SRAM’s Hammerschmidt are only one of the recent signs of the fall of the triple ring crankset from favor.

The “triple”, as three chain ring equipped crank sets are often referred to, have been around since the dawn of the modern mountain bike in the late seventies. Used to give off road riders a low enough climbing gear without sacrificing down hill speed, the set up has been basically the same since that time with some tweaks along the way to the specific chain ring sizes and bolt patterns for the rings themselves. However; there also have been instances along the way where riders tried to eliminate the multiplicity of front chain rings. Nothing on the scale of today’s developments where we have seen and heard of many things that may change the way we motivate up and down the singletrack.

The first big technological change made popular was SRAM’s Hammerschmidt which is basically an internally geared two speed crankset. It eliminates the front derailluer and two of the front chainrings for a gear spread equal to what roughly was the “granny” ring and middle gear on a traditional mountain crank. This has found popularity with All Mountain, Freeride, and Downhill riders that rarely if ever use a big chainring on their cranks anyway. Obviously, too much weight and a lack of a high speed gear up front would limit the usage of this idea, but we may not have seen the end of the development on internal geared cranks yet.

Now for the high speed, cross country set, the news is all about 10 speed drive trains utilizing two front chainrings. SRAM is set to hit out first with the new and yet to be launched “XX” group. Featuring a purpose built two chain ring crankset, the idea is much like “compact” gearing for road bikes, with a nearly identical gear spread to a triple chain ring set up, but with better chain lines, and lower “Q” factor. Also rumored to be making the leap to 10 speed/dual front chainring mountain groups is Shimano. They are rumored to be readying a 10 speed mountain group with a two chainring crank set in the XTR and XT levels.

Not only that, but the scuttlebutt is that Shimano will stop production of triple crank XTR and XT cranks altogether in the future. Will this signal a “trickle down” through all of the mountain groups in SRAM’s and Shimano’s line ups? One industry insider I spoke with on the condition of anonymity said that the trend would trickle down eventually. However; he also stated that recreational groups and trekking cranksets looked to remain as triples for the short term.

My take on it is that it would be a big mistake for SRAM and Shimano to cease high end production of triple crank sets. While racing pursuits lend themselves to such set ups, the common trail rider is not well served by fewer choices in gearing. I also feel that adding more cogs to the cassette is not what trail riders and all mountain/free ride folks are looking for. Actually, fewer cogs and a dishless rear wheel are much higher on the agenda here.

While details are scarce and solid info is months away yet, it is alarming to see that this may be on the table. The jury is still out, but things don’t look so good for the common triple crank these days.

Hoss Technical Gear: Stallion Shorts- First Impressions

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:48:00 -0400

Finally, the third in the Hoss collection, the Stallion Short. This is a bit different from the Ponderosa Knicker in that it has a separate, removeable inner short, which I did remove! It is a bit cold for just shorts yet here, so the Stallion got slid over a pair of tights during it’s first [...]

The liner for the Stallion has yet to see action due to the cool temps here.

As you may have guessed from reading the other two Hoss posts, I am a bit of a freak when it comes to looks with my clothing. I will say that the Stallion Short passed muster right off. It had no funky quirks with it’s muted “Black with Logo” print, which got my thumbs up right off. The fit, like the Ponderosa Knickers, was spot on. Unlike the Ponderosa though, the Stallion is a “boarder style” short. (Think surfing) with it’s lace up fly closure. I liken it to the old school football shorts. At any rate, it works and there isn’t a buckle to dig into your “overhang”, if you are sporting one. Let’s just say it is comfortable and leave it at that, shall we?

The removeable liner allows you to mix up the Stallion with cool weather gear.

The leg length is down to the bottom of my knee caps on me. Nice length, I think. It has the similar gossamer feeling fabric of the Ponderosa Knicker. Thin, but I was okay with it. Lots of comfort and freedom of movement here with the Stallion. There is no provision to tighten the leg openings though, so if you don’t like your short legs flapping in the breeze, these shorts may not be for you.

Functionally, the Stallion has decent sized pockets. One is rather large. Big enough for a good sized camera, or a pair of summer weight gloves to be stashed in. There are a few other smaller pockets, but no slash pockets to stick your hands in. If you haven’t worn boarder shorts before, this is common, but I think a couple of pockets in the normal places are called for here, especially since the Stallion has a removeable liner, and it looks good enough to wear casually in non-cycling scenes. Anyway, as a cycling short, I don’t mind this lack of pockets in the normal places. Again, things ride nicely in loaded pockets on the bike. A big plus if you are going to bother to sew in some pockets in the first place.

I’ll be back with some warmer weather test results with the inner liner soon. Stay tuned!

Hoss Technical Gear: Ponderosa Knicker- First Impressions

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 20:39:54 -0400

The Hoss Technical Gear parade continues on The Bike Lab with the Ponderosa Knicker up next. As I stated in the previous piece on he Polo Pony jersey, I am pretty particular on what I put on my body. Don’t ask where I got my sensibilities, I just know what I like, and what I don’t like! The Ponderosa Knickers I was sent were in the “Logo Print” pattern. It’s kind of a stylized “barbed wire” look. I wasn’t too keen on wearing these outdoors due to this, I’ll admit. But outdoors I did go, and wearing these knickers too. You know, the pattern kind of grew on me, but I would prefer the black, and there are other three other styles to choose from as well. So no worries there.

I thought the pattern was a little too much at first, but don’t I mind it now.

The Ponderosa Knicker has a 6 panel sewn in short with a chamois that is Cool Max and “Sanitized” with a multi-layer technology for your riding comfort. I found it to be quite pleasant. The inner liner fit well, and the chamois was comfy up to three hours in the saddle. Moisture management in the cool temperatures I was riding in (25- 50 degrees) wasn’t an issue, but I’ll reserve judgemet on that until I get into warmer temps. The outer short is pretty thin feeling, but oddly enough, I felt warm with just a wool long john wearing these even in the coldest range of the temperatures I rode in. The outer short was unobtrusive, easy to adjust, and stayed pretty much right where they are pulled up to. No “plumbers crack” action here! The legs came down to just about middle of the calf, right where they are supposed to. Fit-wise, these seem right on the money.

Functionally, the pockets were good sized and plentiful. Stuff I put in the pockets was secure and rode well while on the bike. It didn’t get in the way of any manuevering I was doing, which was a pleasant thing to find in these knickers. While lots of pockets are cool, if the stuff you put in them doesn’t ride well on the bike, you probably won’t use them. Somebody at Hoss must be paying attention here, because I found this to be one of my favorite features of the Ponderosa Knickers.

So far the only thing I was hoping for was that Hoss would consider doing the knicker idea with a removeable liner. Yes, it would cost more, I realize that. But it would make them much more versatile. For instance, in colder weather I like to wear a tight with a chamois built in and slap some knickers over the top for functionality. (Pockets!) Plus, I don’t look like one of Robin Hood’s Mery Men on my bike. (Not that men in tights is a bad thing, just sayin’!) So with that in mind, I still am impressed with the Hoss Ponderosa Knickers. I’ll come back with some warmer weather testing results soon.

Hoss Technical Gear: Polo Pony Long Sleeve Jersey: First Impressions

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 22:49:51 -0400

In our review of the three pieces of clothing from Hoss Tecnical Gear, we will break out each piece in its own post. This time it is the Polo Pony Long Sleeve Jersey’s turn. The jersey is a basic, no pockets piece, but is stylish and functional. Let’s tak a closer look. The jersey has [...]

The jersey has a loose, comfortable fit. No “luv handle” showing tightness here, which is a good thing for me! I was impressed with the comfortable feel to the jersey and it hangs off me just right. No weirdness in the fit department. Nice and roomy, with lots of freedom to get your groove on. Now how does it look? I’m pretty picky in this area, and I will throw a piece of clothing out just because I don’t like the way it looks on me. So with that in mind, lets take this with a grain of salt, okay? I liked the collar and the two snap button opening. Okay, that was a bit close, because collars have to be “just so” or I’m thinking leisure suit and it is going in the rag bin. (Hey, I said I was picky!) The color I was sent was listed on the Hoss Technical site as “grey”. Now I like that. No “made up” color, just “grey”. I wasn’t too stoked on the grey color though until my wife swayed me with some very nice compliments. So I tried it out at work, (yes, you could wear this as an everyday shirt, it looks that good) and the ladies I worked with were very complimentary. Now normally I don’t get comments like this, and I’m not saying you will, but that was a major plus for me.

So, enough with the vanity already, how did it work? As in cycling? Great question! I rode to work in it several times and wore it on some extended rides of up to three hours. Honestly, it wears really well. The freedom to move is translated into a garment that doesn’t hinder you and ( a cliche’, I know, but here goes….), disappears. The temps were rather cold on these rides, so I was layering. The Polo Pony works well with wool and base layers, I am happy to report. The long sleeves weren’t too long, but did a great job of not creeping up while riding. Just right for me, and I’ve got longish arms.

So far, I have only one nit with this jersey. Honestly, I am going to lump in the Polo Pony with a lot of current jerseys with this comment by saying the fabric “runs” and snags a bit. I’ve included a pic of this phenomenon to illustrate my point more clearly. (Pic is of sleeve on the opposite side of the elbow.) This is something I find absolutely maddening. I had a riding tee and two jerseys from different companies do exactly the same thing last summer. Hopefully this can be remedied, because as it is, I am hesitant to wear this out in non-cycling venues, which I could have done, and would, if it had not done this. One more thing: I can’t figure out just what does this, it isn’t like I pulled it on a staple or barbed wire or anything. Weird!

Other than that, it has been smooth rding with the Polo Pony. I’ll report back with some feedback in warmer weather conditions soon.

DIY Series: The Typical Tune Up- Front Derailleur Adjustments

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:05:27 -0400

Continuing on now with our tune up, we will be looking at our front derailluer, if you have one! Front derailluers may seem a little tricky at first, but they are similar to rear derailuers and actually, are easier to adjust many times. Lets take a look…….. Note the limit screws, their identification, and the alignment [...]

Note the limit screws, their identification, and the alignment of the cage with the chain rings.

The front derailluers travel inboard and outboard of the crankset is determined by these little screws. They are (unsurprisingly) called “limit screws”. Genrally, they should not have to be tweaked, but checking their settings is always a wise thing to do. Shift your front derailluer into the smallest front ring. Then, we will manually actuate the derailluer to find if the limits are set correctly. (Your first clue that something is amiss already would be if your chain drops on the bottom bracket shell, or won’t shift on to the smallest ring. Just manually place it on the smallest ring for now.)

By rotating the crank by hand and pulling on the derailluer cable, you can check the limits of the front derailluer.

By pulling the cable that operates the derailluer by hand while rotating the crank with your other hand, you can find out if your limit screws are set correctly. Pedal at a moderate pace and pull gently on the cable downwards. (See photo above) As the derailluer reaches its limit of outward travel it should pull the chain up on to your largest ring on your crank set. If the chain starts to come over the chainring to the outside, simply lessen the tension on the cable with your hand to keep it from falling off. If this happens, the limit screw is going to need adjustment. (Hold that thought for a moment) Before we get to that though, you need to release the cable gently to allow the chain to be pushed back down on to the innermost chainring on the crankset. (Keep pedalling with that other hand!)

Okay, your chain should be on the smallest ring on the crankset again after you release the cable completely. Check with the shifters now. Is it working properly? If it isn’t, here are the adjustments and things to check on:
#1- Chain fell off to the inside of the crankset. Adjust the low limit screw, (Either having an “L”, or “Low”, marked next to it, or use the inner most screw on most mountain bikes), by turning it clockwise, limiting the travel of the cage to the inside. Small adjustments! Maybe a 16th to an eighth of a turn on that screw. Re-check.

The cable adjuster is normally found where the cable exits the shifter body, as on this Shimano shifter.

Down tube mounted cable adjusters.

#2- Chain won’t go into the smallest ring on the crank. Check the shifter. Did you have it shifted all the way into the lowest setting? If so, check the cable tension. It should have some tension, but not be real tight. If it feels pretty tight, loosen the adjuster at the shifter, (Or down tube boss if a road bike is being tuned. See images above) and recheck. If that doesn’t do it to your satisfaction, you can adjust the low limit screw, (Again, marked with either an “L”, “Low”, or usually the inmost screw on older mtbs) by turning it counter clockwise. Again, small adjustments! Re-check to see if it works.

#3- If your chain went over the top of the outermost chain ring, then adjust the high limit screw, marked “H”, “High”, or the outer most screw on most older mountain bikes. Turn the screw clockwise a little and recheck. Make small adjustments until a satisfactory result is reached.

#4- If you shift into the big ring, (outer most ring) up front and your highest gear in the back, (smallest cog), see if the chain rubs the cage of the front derailluer. If it does, you may need to increase the cable tension by turning the cable adjuster counte clockwise at the shifter or downtube. Small adjustments make big changes. If this doesn’t work, the limit screw may be needing to be turned counter clockwise just a hair. Make sure to use the “H”, “High”, or outer most screw!

#5: I’ve tried everything so far. It still doesn’t work!- Try looking at the cage of the derailluer from above. See if the cage plates are parallel to the chain rings. (See picture #1) If the derailluer looks askew in relation to the chain rings, you will need to adjust this by using the deralluer’s mounting bracket. Make sure you are shifted into the smallest chainring up front to relieve the cable tension. Loosen the clamp,(See photo below), or fixing bolt if it is a braze on deralluer, and align the cage to be parallel to the chain rings. Tighten the clamp or fixing bolt, recheck the cable tension and adjust if necessary, then re-check the shifting.

The up and down position and the alignment with the chain rings for the front derailluer can be adjusted by loosening that bolt on the band clamp for this front derailluer.

#6- Sometimes a clamp was loose and the derailluer creeps down the seat tube. The cage may scrape the chain rings while shifting to larger rings. Or the cage may be too high above the chainrings to shift effectively. In either case, loosen the clamp bolt or fixing bolt, align properly, retighten the fasteners, and re-check the shifting. You will most likely need to adjust the cable tension, and I’d recommend doing that at the anchor bolt. loosen it slightly, just enough to pull the slack out of the cable, or allow some cable to pass through, depending on the adjustment. Re-tighten the anchor and check the shifting.

A trick that helps down tube routed cables is to lube the nylon plate the cables drag across when you shift. Try it!

Hoss Technical Gear: On Test

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:42:42 -0500

In this post, we’d like to introduce you to some of Hoss Technical Gear’s products that we will be testing over the next few months. Hoss started out as a company that aimed to give the mountain biker value for the dollar spent. Making a name for themselves early on with the Ponderosa short, (Blue Collar Mountain Bike review here) Hoss soon branched out into other value driven clothing items. Today, we are going to be looking at three items: The Stallion Short, The Ponderosa Knicker, and the Polo Pony Long Sleeve Jersey.

The Polo Pony long sleeve jersey

The Ponderosa Knickers

The Stallion boarder style short

We will break out each piece with more technical descriptions and our initial impressions in posts coming up over the next week or so. We also have a women’s “Kiva” jersey, but obviously Arleigh will be handling that department. So look for her impressions on that coming up soon!

DIY Series: The Typical Tune Up- Rear Derailleur Adjustments

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 22:12:37 -0500

Okay, it is time for the adjustment of the rear derailleur. First of all, much has been written on this subject already. In fact, you can find an article on the adjustment of a rear derailleur here and here from this site. I suggest you read all you can get, and take what you can understand from all of them. I may not explain something like someone else does that clicks with you. With that in mind, lets take a look at a typical derailleur.

The barrel adjuster is located where the cable exits the rear of the derailluer housing

The main adjusting feature on your derailleur is the barrel adjuster. It usually is located at the exit point for the rear cable housing from the deralleur body. SRAM derailleurs don’t use this arrangement on the mtb side, and niether do the new Shadow derailleurs from Shimano. The barrel adjusters for these systems are located at the shifter. At any rate, they function the same way. If your derailleur cable is too slack, you turn the barrel adjuster counter-lockwise to take out the slack in the cable. If the cable is too tight, the adjuster is turned clockwise to loosen the cable. Now might be a great time to lube the derailleur cables too. Check out how to do it here.

Set ‘em and forget ‘em!

The two screws found on most derailleur bodies and usually marked “L” and “H” are the limit screws. They keep your rear derailleur from traveling too far inwards or outwards. Once these have been set, they generally do not ever need to be fiddled with again. However, it is worth checking the limits of travel on the derailluer just in case. “L” stands for “Low” and is the screw that limits the travel of the derailleur to the lowest gear. “H” is “High” and limits the travel to the smallest cog, or outside of the bike. Clockwise turning of either screw will limit travel. Counter-clockwise turning of either screw will allow more travel.

Manually checking the limits of derailleur travel.

To check the limits follow the instructions here. Once you have done this, then adjusting the rear derailluer can effectively take place. If you didn’t lube the cables, go back and do that. Now, if you pedal and shift the bike’s gearing system, you should see immediate results when initiating a shift. If the chain hesitates when you shift from a small gear to the next larger, then you may want to add tension to the cable. (Turn the barrel adjuster counter-clockwise a 16th to an 8th turn.) Check it again. If it still hesitates, add more tension to the cable. Repeat the process until you get the shifting to hesitate on the way from a bigger cog to a smaller. Then back off the adjuster an 8th of a turn. If the system is doing the opposite from the get go, reverse the procedures until satisfactory shifting occurs.

Note that it may take some trial and error your first few times to get it right. Also, if your derailleur is not hanging perfectly parallel to the cogset, your derailluer hangar may be bent, or your derailluer damaged. That would mean it is time to see the experts at your shop. Also, if your cable housing is cracked or kinked, or your cables frayed, it might behoove you to replace all of that before you move on.

Next: Front derailluer adjustments.

Technical Difficulties

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 22:36:49 -0500

Recently Blue Collar Mountain Biking had some web tech work done and we were down for a few days. I want to assure our readers that we are back and that regular posting will commence once again. I appologize for any inconveniences this may have caused. Stay tuned for our next in the DIY Series [...]

Stay tuned for our next in the DIY Series on a Typical Tune Up where we will tackle adjusting a rear derailluer. We will also be bringing you some reviews on some Hoss technical wear, and of course, we will always be on the look out for any “blue collar” tips to send your way. Stay tuned! The next post will be up soon!

DIY Series: A Typical Tune Up- Head Set Adjustments- Part II

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:33:20 -0500

This time we’ll look at how to identify and adjust a “threadless head set”. Let’s take a look at an example……. Threadless head sets are pretty common these days. The “threadless head set” gets its name from the fact that the steer tube of the fork is not threaded. This type of head set has been in [...]

This time we’ll look at how to identify and adjust a “threadless head set”. Let’s take a look at an example…….

Threadless head sets are pretty common these days.

The “threadless head set” gets its name from the fact that the steer tube of the fork is not threaded. This type of head set has been in wide circulation since the mid-90’s and is almost all you see on modern day bicycles. The stem on a threadless head set system clamps around the steer tube and is responsible for holding the head set adjustment. The “top cap”, which is over the top of the steer tube, has a bolt running through its center that threads into an “anchor” lodged in the steer tube called a “star nut”. These are the principal parts involved in our discussion of adjusting this sort of head set.

Most threadless head sets have stems clamped at the top of the fork steer tube.

Alternate loosening bolts on threadless stems to reduce the chance of overstressing the clamp and possibly causing cracks to develope on the stem.

The first order of business is to release the stems grip on the steer tube. This is done by loosening the bolt(s) that are clamping the stem to the steer tube. Note: If there is more than one bolt holding the stem to the steer tube, it is best to release the bolts as evenly as possible to reduce unwanted strain on the stem. Turn each stem bolt alternately with turns of less than half a full turn at first until the stem is quite loose. The stem is loose enough when you can turn it on the steer tube and the wheel stays stationary.

The only thing this bolt does is adjust the preload on the head set bearings

Next we’ll tackle the actual head set adjustment. Turn the bolt in the center of the top cap, (usually a 5mm bolt) clockwise about an eighth of a turn or less. Re-tighten the stem bolts, again using alternate turns on bolts if there is more than one bolt, and then check your adjustment. Just as with a threaded head set, you want to try to rock the fork back and forth in the head tube by grabbing one of your grips and the front wheel. If you still feel a knock, or some looseness, try the adjustment procedure again until you get a satisfactory result. Remember! Small adjustments, not big ones, and it may take a few tries.

Once you get what you think is a good adjustment, make sure you have your stem lined up straight with your wheel, and double check those stem bolts that clamp the steer tube. Don’t try tigtening that stem cap bolt! All it is there for is to make adjustments. Note: Some higher end stems and steer tubes require specific torque values to be met for safe riding. Over tightening some exotic carbon steer tubes or aluminum/carbon stems can result in failures. Use a torque wrench, or see your local bike shop for assistance if you are not comfortable doing this adjustment on your higher end machine.

Many stems will have torque specs listed right on them, others will require some research. If you have a higher end machine, follow the torque specs carefully!

If you just can’t seem to get your head set to adjust up, here are a couple things to check. First- See if the star nut is slipping or damaged. To do this, simply back out the center bolt in the top cap and remove the top cap. The star nut should be solidly wedged into the steer tube and not crooked, or with stripped threads in the center. If the star nut is damaged, a new one will have to be pressed in before you can continue. See your local bike shop for assistance. If the star nut checks out, look at the steer tube in relation to the top of the stem. Are they equal in height? If so, their isn’t enough spacers under the stem. You should be seeing at least a 16th to a 1/8th inch difference between the top of the stem and the steer tube, which should be lower. If you need assistance, see your local bike shop for parts and help. You won’t be able to adjust the head set properly until the problem with the spacers is addressed.

Next time: Adjusting the rear derailleur