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Dip It In Mud

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So I’ve been seeing a lot in the news lately about new companies designing bikes that “solve all the old problems of the old bike”.  They achieve this by adding extra moving parts, adding new pivot points, enclosing the whole thing in hard candy shell, integrating headsets/stems/handlebars/seats/other and endlessly searching for new materials with which to build their new and improved monoliths of industry. I find it interesting how much energy is being put into this right now.  By no coincidence is this happening during a time when more and more people are riding bikes.  If there’s money in it (and there is) people will try to figure out a way to make a bunch of that money, and one of the best ways to do that is to tell everyone that you’ve fixed a problem with what came before and your version of a thing is the newest and best.  Your version makes more sense than every other version that came before it.  Because all of the others had this build in (and unspoken) “problem” that you have brilliantly solved, by adding more moving parts/pivot points/integrated hoo-hahs and so on. The bike as it stands today is largely unchanged from the bike of yesterday (or the day before that or the day before that) and there is a very good reason for that.  It works really really well. A bicycle is a piece of technology that you can dip in a giant bowl of mud, pull it out and immediately start riding; you don’t even have to wipe it off first.  Try really hard to think of another piece of technology that you could do this with.  Sure they make things all fancy and waterproof now, but a bike doesn’t even need that.  It’s an incredibly simple piece of machinery that operates incredibly well, even without any kind of maintenance.  Think of the bikes you see out there on the road: covered in rust from head to toe, not just the frame, but all the moving parts as well, and people just ride them down the street like that.  It’s true that that kind of bike doesn’t operate as well as an even occasionally maintained machine, not to mention one that has regular maintenance but it operates none the less and it will get you where you’re going. The mud test is something that has actually happened to me.  Riding my Moonlander around the river trails last fall, I tried to go around a creek in order to avoid crossing on a felled tree (because I’m a coward) and ended up around a corner planting the Moony headfirst in a quagmire that would make Vorgornus Koth soil his jammies.  Now I’m a big dude (fatso as some would call me), and when I plant a bike in mud, it goes in deep.  The entire front wheel (up to the handle bar) and the crankset, chainrings and all were fully submerged in that thick goo.  The back wheel was spared as the momentum of me going over the bars kept it from even touching the mud, it stood up like an erect monument to sunken treasures and bad decisions everywhere.  I pulled the bike out of the mud, walked it (above my head) to firmer ground, got up on it, and rode home.  I cleaned and checked it when I got there (about 11 miles later) but it rode remarkably well and took no damage, just needed a deep clean. On a side note, the fall was the most painless I’ve ever had (there have been many) it was like going OTB into a marshmallow, so soft and sweet. Mud tests aside, it’s important to note that I’m not saying that bikes can’t be better, on the contrary, I think that everything can be better. I just question the notion (rational) of taking something that is so simple and works so incredibly well and trying to reinvent it, instead of refine it. If all technology worked in that fashion, what would a wheel look like?? Now go dip your bike in mud and ride home. (for legal reasons I can’t actually tell you to do that so don’t)   (but really do)   (no don’t)   (wink)  

These are a few of my favorite things.

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Hi folks, Why do we buy the things we buy?  Or for that matter, why do we buy this item over that similar item?  I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit lately. We’ve all purchased something to “just-get-me-by-for-now.”  I know I’ve done it.  Many times I find myself bummed that I didn’t spend the extra cash on a higher quality item in order to save a few bucks in the short run.  Unsurprised, I usually find myself disappointed in some fashion as time marches on. Other times, I find that I pay a little extra for something special.  Why?  Well, there are lots of reasons why I buy the things I buy.  Today, however, I want to talk specifically about what it means to purchase something of high quality.  We’re not talking about buying something with the highest price, but rather, making a purchase that will provide you with the most return on your investment.  You know, the good stuff in life. So, where am I going with this?  Well, I’m certainly not going to preach to you about why you should buy a Surly over something else.  You’re smart enough to make that decision on your own.  I’m here today to give you a taste of 10 quality things I’ve run across in 2012 that I feel are worth paying a little extra money for.  I’ve found them to be of particularly high quality, some old, some new.  I digress. Let’s call it, Greg’s Favorite Things Some of this stuff I own.  Some, I wish I owned.  No I’m not being paid to say these things so kill your conspiracy theory.  In fact, please let me know if you think you’ve got something I should see that should replace one of the items on my list.   Okay?  Okay. In no particular order, my list begins. 1. Benchmade Griptillian Folding Pocket Knife.   I’ve owned my Benchmade for over 5 years now.  I bought the Black on Black model with a Tanto point from little outfitter in Hendersonville, N.C. while I was working as a Mountain Bike Trip Leader at Camp Mondamin. The thing I like most about the Griptillian is that the body of the knife is tough.  I’ve used it as a hammer, opened about 5,000 beers with it, used it as a pry bar.  You name it.  The grip is still in great shape and contours the hand nicely.  The locking mechanism from Benchmade is, in my opinion one of the best on the market.  It’s a snap to engage with only one hand and allows the blade to lock into position with the flick of a wrist.  Also, the blade is very sharp and holds an edge for a long time under heavy use.  Cutting rope, paper, heavy packing tape and dissecting fish with ease.  2. Bulleit Rye from the Bulleit Distillery Lawrenceburg, KY.   Admittedly, I am not a Bourbon or Whiskey snob.  In fact, I know very little about how this stuff is made or why it tastes so damn good.  Bulleit Rye is smooth and subtle, even to the untrained palette.  It’s perfect for sipping, shooting, and mixing.  What I like most about this Rye is it has a kick and then a slow warm up in the belly.  This distilled delight will wake up your taste buds without burning your goozle.  This Whisky is perfect for passing around the table and enjoying good conversation. 3. Kawasaki KLR 650   For me, this motorcycle is the perfect machine for the things I like to do and is also a great platform for trips I’d like to take in the future.  With the KLR you get a lot of bang for your buck.  The 650cc thumper engine is relatively simple to repair or hop-up and the amount of used and aftermarket parts available are astounding.  The bike will run right up to 100mph which is fast enough for me any day.  Also, the KLR is a work horse.  I’ve mounted a Happy trails Top Box for carrying and stacking cargo and plan to also mount Happy Trails Pannier Boxes this spring for extended trips.  The bike handles it’s own well in both on and off road situations and is light enough for even a novice rider like myself to maneuver even in precarious situations.  I’ll see the Gun Flint trail on my KLR this summer. 4. Red Wing 926 6-inch Work Boot I never understood why some people swear by one pair of boots over another until now.  First, the experience I got at my local Red Wing store was fantastic.  We sized my foot for length and width and tried on probably 6 pairs so I could find the model that felt the best.  My feet are long and narrow so a size 12A was the ticket for me.  The  full leather 926 has standard lacing over the top of the foot and then presents two sets of studs for friction lacing at about ankle height.  This boot can be resoled, re-stiched, and mended from top to bottom.  For me, the best part is the replaceable insole, which means you can shove in a new foot bed and essentially have a new pair of boots that has already been worn and stretched to your own feet.  These boots look great and perform like a true work boot should. They are comfortable and stable all day, everyday and make my feet smile. 5. Ruger MK series .22 Pistol Yes, this is a gun folks.  Sorry if I have offended you. I don’t own one of these Rugers yet, however, I have had the pleasure of holding a nice stainless model in my hand at the Gander Mountain off of Flying Cloud Drive (for the locals).  This little guy is everything I want in a target pistol.  The action is time tested and smooth and the finish is very pretty.  The Ruger .22 pistol over the years has been a favorite among avid shooters for its reliability and accuracy even when very dirty.  Any of the Ruger MK or even Pre-MK Standard models would make a nice addition to your bug out bag because of their relatively light-weight and tack driving ability.  I’ll likely get set up with an MK III in stainless steel and wooden grips if I can find one.  I plan to use mine for fun “plinking” and maybe even small game hunting.  6. Pentel Graph Gear 500 Pencil The Graph Gear 500 is one of those pencils you just don’t want to lose.  I love this thing and have a minor freak out when it goes missing.  Fortunately for $4 I can grab a new one at a drug store at any time.  This mechanical pencil comes in multiple lead diameter configurations to suit any of your needs.  The shaft is hard plastic that meets a knurled metal barrel at the grip.  The elongated nose of the utensil keeps the thin stick of lead securely locked in place and safe from breaking. Even when dropped!  Most people throw pencils away or lose them and move on.  The Pentel Graph Gear 500, however, has staying power and feels great in my hand.  Yup, a pencil is one of my favorite things. 7. Brooks B-17 Saddle with Copper rivets The classic look and hard-fought appeal of the Brooks B-17 is almost unmistakable.  These fine leather saddles are far more than a beauty to behold.  The B-17 is made of high-grade leather that at first feels a lot liking sitting on a board.  After a little pre-conditioning and a few hundred miles you have yourself a saddle that is durable, beautiful and COMFORTABLE!   This saddle will form to fit your body when it breaks in. My personal saddle is a dyed black and features hand pounded rivets which I find more comfortable than the cheaper steel rivets.  If you’re looking to have a “relationship” with your saddle over many years, the B-17 is worth a second look.  Especially, if you have a bony ass or wider-set hips, speaking from experience.  8. Mole Skin Hardbound Journal I’ll admit I’ve had a long time obsession with good stationary.  Admission is half the battle right?  The Mole Skin Hard Bound Journal is my favorite thing to write in.  The exterior is tough, usually bound with a standard black cover.  The pages are rather thick.  You never have to worry about bleed-through and writing on either side of the paper is much more enjoyable.  One the Front page there is a space for your name, contact information if lost, and a line for a cash reward if you choose to offer one. On the back interior cover there is small folder for things like business cards, bus tickets or your favorite baseball card.  I prefer the 5 X 8.25 inches model with the graph paper lines.  Graph paper is great for doodles or writing prose.  These notebooks are more expensive than most, however, I’ve found it very satisfying to add another full-notebook to my collection. 9. Stanley Adventure Carbonated Drink Bottle 32 Oz. I scored this bottle at a tradeshow a couple years back so technically I never paid for it.  That said, it’s a great bottle.  I’ve used it for beer many times and I’ve never had any leakage.  Also, the beer usually has some carbonation left even after a 10 mile MTB ride.  The bottle is a rigid plastic and thick.  I’m never afraid of dropping or cracking this bottle.  Also there is a small carry handle on the side that makes for comfortable sipping.  The best feature is how you fill the bottle.  The entire top of the bottle screws off where the insulation-wrap meets the molding of the top portion.  This allows for easy pouring and cleaning.  Fortunately, Stanley also provided us with a small drinking spout at the very top which makes this large volume bottle easy to drink from.  I can’t remember a day in the last year that I didn’t use this bottle. I’ve washed it only a hand full of times, it still clean and shows no sign of grimy build up.  Thumbs up. 10. Surly Krampus The Krampus is our new mountain bike.  I like it for lots of reasons.  First, because it puts us back on the radar of mountain bikers looking for something other than the run of the mill 5-inch travel full sus. bike.  The way it handles accounts for the other 562 reasons I love this rig.  Oh and it’s easy on the eyes too!  The frame is butted CroMoly and the geometry feels more aggressive when compared to other popular 29’ers. The 50mm wide Rabbit Hole rims and Knard 3.0 tires make a happy  29+ pair in most heavy cornering conditions as well as providing the rider with a sense of skull-crushing-confidence.  Mine is built with an SLX/XT drivetrain and heavenly Ice Tech XT brakes.  I like the breaks so much that I wish I was sharing 11 of my favorite things.  I run a Thompson Elite Post and Stem in black.  A Chromag Fubar, ODI lock-on grips, and a cane creek headset round out the cock pit.  Normally I run a Brooks B-17 saddle, right now I’m using a WTB Pure V.  For the record I personally prefer the B-17.  I use Crank Bros. Candy pedals.  Not sure which model, they’re a few years old.  Salsa flip lock skewers firmly hold the wheels in place.  Currently, I’m running a Surly MWOD crank, which is nice fix when using a front der. on the Krampus.  The Krampus is my favorite mountain bike.  Ever. And I’m spent.  Happy New Year. Greg

“Oh Geez Those are Some Big Tires”

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“Oh Geez Those are Some Big Tires”

The phrase I hear most often when traveling with my Moonlander.

Every year in the spring, my buddies and I hold a trout fishing tourney near the Boundry Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on Snowbank Lake. The winner takes home a coveted prize that we’ve named Brenda. Now before you get any ideas, Brenda is a coolie/trophy that signifies you are indeed tourney Champion. It is a highly sought after title and the competition is fierce. Last year while making final arrangements, we learned there was at least one foot of water around the shore. I am a bit sketched out by driving on the ice anyway and I don’t enjoy slogging a sled for five miles. Last spring, it turned out to be the warmest March days I have experienced in my life here in the nort-land. It was very surreal ice fishing in seventy degree weather. Cracks had formed, opened and re-froze.

There were even tiny rivers of water creating interesting and somewhat scary mini landscapes. Riding bikes on frozen lakes is one of my favorite winter pass times. So why not use that to my advantage? Fat tires to the rescue! The best part is that set up is easy.  All need is some rope, a couple of carabineers and some PVC tubing.

Cut three pieces of PVC. One piece a bit wider than the tires and the other two equal size to run down to the sled to keep the rope out of the tires, chain and spokes. Run the rope through the PVC, tie it to the sled. Attach to the seat rails using two carabineers and you’re off. 


My plan was all in place and I was anxious to give it a try. The first night, my friends and I were testing the Moonlander, drinking beer and whisky when SNAP!, the chain broke. The worst part is I had not grabbed my chain breaker tool when I left town.  Lesson learned.

The next morning I headed to Ely to see if I could fix my rig. I thought this would be an easy task in an outdoorsy town. After all, Ely does have a bike shop. Though it meant missing time on the ice, I was determined to get my rig repaired. Once in town, I was disappointed to learn the shop was closed for the season. Being that it is a small town, I thought I would ask at the gas station if he knew who ran that store. He thought about it and said, oohh yaaah I know Janet...uh let’s see last night was wednesday right? Oooooh yaaaah you’re not going to catch her. Last night was bowling night so she’s going to be tough to get a hold of.  I then headed to the outdoor shop in town. They looked around and tried to call a couple of guys. One of their high school age employees had one but he was in school. I even checked the hardware store in the outside chance somebody might know someone. I must have met everybody in Ely and everybody was really cool, but nobody had a the tool and most of them just gave me a strange look when I tried to describe it.

Dejected, I headed back out to the lake. I had seen a sign on my way in that said 5,000 lures in stock. I thought I would stop and check it out, maybe that would cheer me up and while assisting me, I met the owner of Red Rocks Wilderness store asked me about my fat tires, of course. I took the opportunity to ask him if he happened to have a chain breaker tool. It turns out he used to run that same bike shop in town and he promptly gave me the tool I needed and even let me borrow it for the weekend. Solid. I bought a couple of lures from him and I was on my way.

I was really anxious to pull the sled with my Moonlander and no surprise to me that thing ripped through the ice like the abominable snowman carrying Santa’s sleigh. As always it is important to remember to deflate your tires to 5-10psi to maximize traction. I am always surprised at the number of folks who do not know this so that is why I mention it. The only place I had trouble was on the incredibly smooth, wet ice. If the ice had any crystals on it, I was golden.

Here is a sample of of our sought-after fish. No I did not catch it.

I did lose the tourney but I had one hell of a time doing it. A couple of slimy eel pout was my only reward. Eah, they eat pretty good if you can stand to look at the slimy bastards.

 

Wow what a machine the Moonlander is. Big tires? Fuck yeah. But we don’t just make em big for no reason, there is a purpose for everything we do. That is one of the many things I love about Surly. We make purposeful bikes to go were no other bikes and do things other bikes can’t even attempt.  The moonlander is no exception.

 

 

Do you think reindeer pull Santa’s sleigh? Think again. Happy New Year!

 

I’m Old

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Well, look at this. The blog is ticking along like a '76 Buick with a fresh bottle of HEET poured in. It's nice to see. If I remember correctly, and I seldom do, I wrote my first entry on this thing using a rotary-dialed phone cradle modem. The Vic 20 that I used had to have coal shoveled in about every 15 minutes and there were Cheryl Tiegs and Burt Reynolds posters all over the office. Man, that was good stuff back then.

Now, sitting here on the ass end of 2012, I'm waxing nostalgic for the old days and feeling a bit aged. I've been doing this stuff for almost 10 years now, though I still feel pretty lucky to do what I do. Back when I became Surly Employee Number Four there were a lot more Wednesday Night Ride prototype testing sessions, we could fit our Interbike booth on Dave's bike, and I had all of our part numbers memorized. We wondered what a blog was and questioned why we'd need one. Who cares what we have to say after all? It felt - and still feels - presumptuous to think that the things we have to say might be even slightly interesting. Yet, there you are all snug in your task chair with your Mac Book Pro astride its Ikea Vittsjo laptop table. Your macchiato steams ever so gently in its demitasse.

Shit, where was I?

Oh, yeah. I'm getting old.

A couple of weeks ago I hit a skunk. I was riding home from a trail committee meeting after (I swear) only two beers and the little varmit ran out of a dark yard and right under my front wheel. My heavy ass went airborne and I speared the pavement with my dome. (I'm no helmet evangelist, but I was wearing one and it did keep my skull in one piece) I've made a pretty good living falling off of my bike, but man, this one hurt. I was pretty sure that I'd made the kind of noise when I hit where people would be opening their front doors wondering how many dump trucks had hit how many bull elephants.

I rolled onto my side in time to see my mammalian speed bump friend waddling south in a limpy hurry. No, I didn't get sprayed. I did, however, sit on the curb for about 15 minutes feeling sorry for myself and making deep grunty labored gasping noises. I felt like shit.

Do you remember when you used to fall down and then you'd get up and everything was cool? I never really grasped what a superpower that was.

In the morning I couldn't raise my left arm, so I assumed that my number on the broken collar bone list had finally come up. Turns out, I'm just a big wuss and the x-rays showed nada. At least I got to wear a tiny ER gown and be pushed around in a wheelchair. That was pretty sweet.

All of the oldness that's manifesting itself in me, however, is being tempered ever so slightly by the fact that I've got a kid now and I can live vicariously through his wipe outs and get-back-ups. He's pretty good at both. So good, in fact, that this year Santa thought enough of the nipper to answer his Christmas letter request for a "sparkly orange bike." Lots of people will see this as spoilng him, but you should have seen the list and what he didn't get.

Since I know people who can do stuff, I worked a couple of angles and wrote a couple of checks to make this happen:

I know, custom paint on a kid's bike is stupid. But, just tonight we went down to Deke's bike shop to show off his new rig and he ended up doing figure eights on the sales floor while we had a couple of cold ones. It was sort of perfect.

Sure, my joints are filled with sand and I make Abe Vigoda noises when I pee, but I get to watch junior make mistakes and come up with some pretty impressive victories over gravity, bad decisions, and a certain genetic clumsiness. That doesn't make getting out of bed in the morning physically any easier, but it does make it more interesting.

-Skip

Nerd, Please…

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Last week I was accused of being a nerd by four of my office cohorts.  My cohorts are not nameless faceless cohorts by the way; their names are Greg, Tyler, Adam and Bob.   I wasn’t insulted by being called a nerd, but I did find it ironic that they were calling me a nerd in response to me calling them nerds after I learned about their previous night’s Dungeons and Dragons nerd fest.  I mean they almost got fired for printing out their D&D nerd sheets on the company printer!  It’s a good thing they have me as their boss.  Seriously, D&D parties are what Surly has come to!  Let me ask you a question:  After hearing this do you still think Surly is a cool brand?  OK, maybe you never thought that we were cool, but my guess is that you never thought of us as a bunch of cloak-wearing shoe gazers.  Did you???  Greg tried to invite me to session two by the way.  I almost said yes.  Almost.  He nearly had me with, “…but Peter, we're about to enter the dungeon.  Once we go down there it will be too late for you to join.”  It was a tough decision for me, but in the end I realized that while I am indeed a nerd I also have standards, and these standards of nerditude have always lead me to draw the line at D&D.


The fact of the matter is that Surly is a brand full of nerds.  As I throw the proverbial dead cat around here I can't seem to miss one.  Nerdiness is what has brought us together, and in many ways it is what keeps us on the same page.  And by us, I don’t just mean the people who work directly for Surly.  Us includes us, of course, but it also includes the fine people who sell our products in finer bike shops around the globe.  And it also includes YOU.  Think about it.  Are you a nerd?  Do you constantly dream about your next ride, your next bike trip, or your next bike build?  Is your bike obsession part of a pattern of nerdy obsessions you have had throughout your life?  I bet most of you who love Surly are deep seated nerds.  It’s why we love you ya’ know.  It’s part of what makes you so Surly. 


Anyway, this blog is supposed to be about me, so stop thinking about yourself for a moment and focus back on me.  I’m the nerd Surly brand manager and I wear this title proudly.  I could explain this in prose but it would put you to sleep, so allow me instead to put you to sleep with some photos of what I’m talking about.


I like lamp (Grateful Dead lamps, or just lamps in general).  I don't collect them, per say.  I just have a deep appreciation for them (especially the classy ones).


I have been seriously into music listening since I was just a wee lad.  This is my man cave.  As you can see I just cleaned it.

My love of music goes beyond just the music.  I believe that in order to appreciate music to its fullest it should sound good.  Really good.  This has lead to a healthy nerdy obsession with high quality audio gear. 

Here is a shot of the current office set up.  We have a turntable in the office but right now I don't have room to set it anywhere.  That will change soon.

And here is the turntable I rock at the home office.

When I started working in the bike industry in 1993 I began collecting bicycle related stickers.  Here is a very small random sampling of my collection.  For some reason I simply cannot bring myself to get rid of them.  Brose once offered me $100 for the entire lot and I said no.

Here is my current bike build:  a Travelers Check.  The frame is waiting on custom decals.  Once they are done it will go in for a clear coat and then I will build it up.  Look for a blog dedicated to this in the future.

This summer I built up my Krampus prototype and it has become my favorite mountain bike ever.  Here it is posing on some local single track.

These photos are exhibits of a small portion of my nerdiness.  I have other things I geek out on.  I'm sure you do as well.  That is what nerds do, afterall.  It's Okay to be a nerd and be proud of it.  Even you D&Ders need not be ashamed.  Just don't expect me to join in or be your friend you for it, you silly nerds. 

 

Survival Kit

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I’ve been carrying a survival kit for many years.  It goes almost everywhere I go: on my bike, in the car, when I travel for work and pleasure...domestically and internationally, and certainly when I’m camping.  Why do I carry it?  Because it’s practical.  And it gives me some peace of mind. 

As our weather patterns become seemingly more unstable, our government becomes less reliable, and our dependence on vulnerable technologies increases, it seems more appropriate, each day, to carry a ready-made bug-out bag that can provide some basic amenities if/when they are needed...

My kit varies a bit as I add and subtract items over time, but it always contains tools and supplies to make fire, procure food and drinkable water, construct shelter, and add a bit of comfort to a less-than-ideal situation...

First aid: topical ointment, alcohol wipes, adhesive bandages, gauze pads, Steristrips, Dermabond, iodine, Imodium, Benadryl, Sudafed, lanolin, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Aleve, aspirin, small knife w/scissors, caffeine pills, ephedrine pills

Calories:  Honey Stinger waffles, energy gel… 500 – 600 calories, fishing kit, snare wire, slingshot band and pouch

Tools:  Leatherman, folding saw, diamond knife-sharpening plate

Water treatment: 2-part liquid chlorine dioxide water purification system, chlorine dioxide tablets, titanium cup for boiling water

Water storage: 1-liter Platypus bottle, unlubricated condom

Fire: Light My Fire firesteel, REI waterproof matches in waterproof match case,  Duraflame firelog chunks, firepaste, disposable lighter, pieces of inner tube (firestarter), 36” tube for blowing coals into flame, char cloth and tin for making char cloth

Kitchen:  titanium spork, aluminum foil

Shelter: plastic poncho, reflective emergency blanket

Repair: 50’ 550 paracord, 2mm accessory cord…various lengths, electrical tape, duct tape, inner tube rubber bands, sewing kit, dental floss

Pen/paper: all-weather journal, stamps, ultralight pen

Rescue:  signal mirror, whistle, compass

Lighting: Princeton Tec headlamp, mini LED keychain light, 12-hour beeswax candle, Skully front and rear LED bike lights, spare batteries

Misc: house key, handkerchief, toilet paper, $20.00 bill, blank check

Small zippered pouches are used to consolidate like items.

I also carry spare clothing:  Montane Pertex smock, Cannondale vest, Golite vapor barrier socks, Mt. Borah balaclava, WSI skull cap, Pearl Izumi headband, OR mitten covers, neoprene face mask, wool Buff.

This is my winter-oriented selection.  I don’t carry as much clothing in the summer.

The survival kit items go into a zippered sil-nylon bag, and the clothing fits in a sil-nylon stuff sack.  The beer is there for scale…and author refreshment. 

In my pockets, I carry a knife, a lighter, and a handkerchief. 

Of course, it doesn’t make much sense to carry all this stuff, if one doesn’t know how to use it.  That’s another reason I carry this gear with me.  I use - and maintain - many of the items on a regular basis, so I know that they will be in good working condition when I need to depend on them most. 

I can get by without most of these items...even in an emergency.  I can make fire with friction and percussion (literally, sticks and stones),  I can weave cordage from natural fibers, I can build shelters with found natural and manmade materials, and I can procure food and purify water without purchased gadgets and gizmos.  But having a basic kit provides comfort that practical knowledge, alone, will not...at least, not in the short term. 

You might think it’s odd that I carry all this gear.  You're probably right.  After all, that new iPhone survival app you just downloaded is guaranteed to guide you safely through any problematic situation.  What more could you possibly need?

 

It Feels Just Like the Real Thing

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 The winter is in full swing here in the Middle West portion of the country, and riding in the snow and on ice has been one of my favorite activities since I first discovered it’s peaceful allure.  I love to ride in the snow.  On roads, on trails, or wherever and the more snow coming down from the sky the better.  I like the full rainbow of snowfall, from the light dry fluffy stuff that you can blow away to the wet heavy back braking sludge, it’s all fun to ride in.  There is something so magical about the quiet and stillness that can be found outdoors in a snowstorm especially on a bike.  The bike can get you to places that are even quieter and stiller.  Usually that quiet begins with the strong sense of isolation that comes with this activity.  When the weather gets foul (or as the news casters would have us believe, “deadly”) people tend to stay inside, which leaves the cold and snowy outside to me, and others who share this strange passion.

It’s funny, I grew up in the Midwest, and I don’t remember the snow, and storms causing quite the amount of panic that they seem to cause today.  Blame it on the media, or the government; hell, blame it on me, if you’re into blame. But back in my day (oh yeah, when I was a young fella I never thought it would feel so good to blurt those words out with the bitterness of age firmly entrenched in my soul) we were tougher in the cold and snow.  No one on the news ever told us to lock ourselves in our houses and pray for the weather to pass.  Perhaps it’s because we would have run them out of town on a rail.  Maybe the weather is worse now than it was then, but that’s not what I observe.  It is less predictable perhaps, but not worse. Though my powers of observation are far from Sherlock Holmsian.

But I digress.  The subject is riding my bike in the snow.  It’s important that at this juncture that you understand that what I am about blab on about is the street/neighborhood/commuting/bar runs style of riding and not off-road snow/fat biking.  That is awesome too, but that’s not where we are at the moment.

The first year I “discovered” the allure of this activity, I road a multiple geared comfort bike and then an old mountain bike converted to single speed.  I ran studded snow tires (which are all the rage these days) and did pretty well.  After a couple of years of success combined with laziness, I put off the time I changed the tires on my bike more and more.  The last two winters (the former was pretty snowy, but the later was by no means a rough one) I ran slicks the whole time and did just fine. Sure I wiped out, but I do that in the summer, often times while getting on or off my bike.   I called out to my friends and anyone who would listen that studs in the winter or any other time of the year were a waste of money, that they were at best a placebo and at worst, a con. 

I find and have found that the durometer and compound of the rubber has far more to do with how well it grabs the road in slick, wet or icy conditions. Not to mention the PSI you run the tires at; the lower the pressure the wider your footprint and the better traction you have (Shocked? I know, someone at Surly talking about low-pressure fat tires, unbelievable.). I have ridden studs that slid all over, and slicks that really grab the ice and hug it close. For my money it’s all about the rubber.  Or at least that’s what I would have told you three weeks ago. 

This winter in Minnesota we’ve had a couple of moderate storms, nothing too spectacular. The first storm we had went on for quite a long time, and by the time the trucks came out to plow, it was too late, and we’ve been left with lots of ice, ruts and mounds to try and maneuver our way through, around and over.  This has lead to me doing lots of riding over the ice, and occasionally, I may have had a beer, or a long conversation with Flasky, so I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time on my ass and face kissing the ice all intimate like.

I got to the point where my confidence was a bit shaken.  So I started the process of trying to figure out how to get my juju back.  While thinking about this the other day, it occurred to me: clearly confidence is a mental issue, so I need a mental solution.  Something like….DUH DUN DUH, a placebo.  Something that will make me feel better and give me confidence.  Sure I’m not convinced that the studs will do me any good, but somehow having those little pieces of tungsten in my tires makes them seem like they should do a much better job of keeping me on my bike and off my ass.  Just the way the tires look inspire a bit of extra confidence.  Sure I’ll still fall, I always do, but when I need my juju back, I’ll do whatever it takes to get it.

So here I am, taking my placebos and smiling like I’ve got the real thing.  Does this make me week?  Probably. 

I’m a week, week man, and I like placebos sometimes, and I make fun of people who use them other times, and that’s how I am.  A jerk.

Here is my fixed gear 1x1 that is my winter steed now. Best one I’ve ever had, by a long shot. At the moment I'm back to studs, we'll see how it goes from here.

Go ride in the snow, enjoy the silence and serenity.  If it takes a placebo or two to get you out there, who cares? Do what you gotta do to keep that juju.

 

Minnesota River Bottoms

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The "River Bottoms" is a network of official and un-official trails just south of Minneapolis along the Minnesota River flood plane. They're pretty flat, mostly straight, with plenty of sandy, and full of itch weed in the summer. What more could you ask for? How about flooding? They do that regularly as well.
 
Fortunately for me, the trails are positioned in a way that makes them part of my preferred commute to and from work. 6-10 miles of single track on the way to work, 365 days a year, is pretty rad, no matter what trail you are riding.
 
I am a berms, bumps, and jumps kind of guy. The River Bottoms has none of this. However, with all the time I have spent on this trail system, I have learned to appreciate it. If I want to make it more exciting, I ride my stripped down SS Karate Monkey and sprint through the woods wide open. If I don't have the legs to hammer, I ride the Moonlander and crawl the river banks looking for mud, sand, and snow.
 
Basically, I have learned that any trail is what you make of it and you don't need a bad ass trail to have a great time. If nothing else, you can always fall back on wheelies and no-handed offroad riding to keep things interesting.
 
Below is an assortment of pictures I have taken over the years while riding the river bottoms. If you get the chance, swing down and give them a try. It isn't the best trail system, but you will be on your bike, in the dirt, and that's all you need.
 

My usual route is between J and C.
 

SS Karate Monkey with Knard 29x3 front.
 

The service road always works well for wheelie practice.
 

Pulling the Bob trailer with my Krampus doing some trail work.
 

Barge traffic is always something to check out.
 

Foggy morning on the Krampus.
 

Surly product manager, Adam, riding one of the infrequent obstacles on the trail.
 

Surly brand manager, Peter, ripping between some monster trees.
 

Nearly every ride has a few deer sightings.
 

"The raft" is used to cross 9-mile creek. This picture was taken while the water height is just above average I would say.
 

When the water gets low, the raft is almost useless. However, those who have tried to ford the creek know that it is almost always a bad decision, ha. Inevitably, you loose 50 pounds of food, 2 wagon wheels, and somebody gets dysentery.
 

This is the highest water level I have managed to ride the trail during. This is no where near how high the water can get though.
 

When the raft isn't functional, the tree crossing gets the job done.
 

A little water over the trail doesn't stop us.
 

Tell me this doesn't look like a playground.
 

Gets a little tight through the buck thorn tunnel.
 

Here with Tanner checking out the Old Cedar bridge.
 

A little River Bottoms art work.
 

Taking a break under the "Swing Bridge" with my Moonlander.
 

Tire testing in the mud, BRAP!
 

Breaking trail after a fresh snow. Pure awesome.
 

Many areas of the trail have consistent traffic all year which makes them great for reliable winter single track.
 

More fresh snow on the Moonlander.
 

First tracks on the river bank with my SS Pugsley.
 

Say cheese.
 


Evening Wood

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Do you ever wish you had more time in the day to go for a bike ride? I am not talking about commuting. I am talking about thrashing like Cru Jones in Rad on his paper route but with big boy tires, or even taking your bike out for a nice ride with no destination and no hurry. With a busy job and home life, you have to make the most of your time. For most people, riding during the day is ideal but riding at night is almost more fun. Not only do you feel like you are riding at warp speed, you’re also experiencing something in your sleep. Darkness… if you don’t use lights, your eyes will adjust to the point where you see silhouettes of everywhere you need to go or should not go. If you are a tweaker like me, those silhouettes can trip you out. No worries. If you take your time and trust your instincts you will have no problems. Depends on how technical the terrain is I guess. When you go back and ride the same spot in daylight, you will be able to ride it with your eyes closed. If you have friends they will be amazed. I don’t have many friends and I amaze myself. That counts.

Where I live, I have a nice variety of nighttime riding scenarios. I often ride them all in one night. My bike of choice is the Krampus. I can go for a night ride that starts at my house, winds through neighborhood streets, through the dark park, past the old barn, through the moonlit cornfield, down the gravel road, past the lit gas station, under the overpass, just past the ski hill, onto the dark, creepy single track. I’m telling you. This is a super fun way to ride. There are no rules. Your bike will go wherever you want it to go. I do sometimes take a blinking light that keeps me from getting hit by cars from behind on the busier streets, or if I want to take cool pictures of orbs. Once I hit the dirt I turn them off. This full moon picture was taken in a plowed field south of somewhere on my Krampus. I set the camera on a rock, opened up the shutter speed, set the timer, then rode around in circles. If you don’t ride a lot at night, especially off-road, I highly recommend it.

 

 

Be safe if you want too and have fun.

Ogre, Fenders and You

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So you just bought a Ogre… Stock complete, fresh outa the box and you decide; because the weather is grim, your pink bits are frostbitten and the ground is a sloppy, salty slush soup, that you want to mount up some full coverage fenders. “Sweet!” you think to yourself, “This should be a breeze”…

You pedal on over to your local bike shop and select what they have for your chunky 29x2.3” meats, likely a set Planet Bike “Cascadia 29ers”. Good choice and plenty of hardware to get the job done even if your bike is a little…How do we say, eccentric(?)

Nice thing about these fenders is the ample hardware to get your fussy rig situated.

 So you crooze home with a quick stop at the bottle shop for a 6 pack of hand stabilizers so you don’t drop your fasteners all over the place. You throw your bike in your stand and tear into it. “Crap!” You realize after trying to mount one fender and then the other: “This shit isn’t fitting the way I imagined! The front derailleur and cable are preventing proper snuggage of the rear fender and the front fender is just all sorts of not-fitting at all! I thought I was going to spend 10 minutes on this and then be out the door, heading across town to that metal show my coworker told me about.” Well, don’t fear, you can still make it to the show. Just take stock of the tools you will need and I guarantee you won’t need any additional hardware…er, just an additional component or two (could mean a trip back to that local Surly dealer). But! These may be bits you already have in your parts drawer or on one of your other 7 Surlys. It won’t be too complicated…aren’t you glad you stopped off at the LQ?!

Dang! Not enough room Captain! (Wheel slammed forward in dropouts)

Tools: 5mm, 4mm and 2.5mm hex wrenches. 10mm and 8mm box end wrenches. 4x Surly “Monkey Nuts” or Surly “Tuggnut”. Other “essential” tools not pictured that will come in handy: Heavy wire cutters (to clip your extra strut length down), Hacksaw “Jim Dugout” (cutting a spacer in half if need be), Flasky (enabling fluid), back issue of “Popular Mechanics”, vice and file (also for cutting).

Let’s start with the rear first shall we? I always start there. Remove the rear wheel and M5 bolts from the seat stay and chain stay bridge.  Because the fender will have to move back nearly and inch to clear that front derailleur, you will want a proper way to stabilize that axel so you don’t pull it sideways when you come sprinting home from the bar later that night and stack it into a parked car. This will require you using either of two methods: “Tuggnut Mcgraw” or “Double Monkey Nuttage”

Tuggy or Nutty? Tuggy is simpler, cheaper, allows a better axle position and also opens beers on the fly. Nutty looks clean but places your axle pretty close to the end of the dropout. Note: The further back your axle is; the less smooth your shifting will be.

with the wheel pulled back about 24-28mm you will now have plenty of fender and mud clearance.

Using one on the 30mm spacers, mount up the rear fender loosely so you can center it all correct like once you get the wheel back in place. Grease your threads for feck’s sake and read those instructions provided with the fenders!

Using Tuggy I can snug this wheel fairly close to the front of the fender. A panhead 40mm bolt would be nicer.

Plenty of Clearance Clarence.


Once the rear wheel is back in place you will want to adjust the rear brake caliper position as you will find that it is not grabbing as much rotor as it used to. Slide that baby almost all the way back, center it to the rotor and tighten back down. Now go through and tighten down your fender hardware minding the manufacturer provided torque spec (if you are so “analy inclined”).

  

Before and after brake adjustment.

HOLY BUTTER BEANS ON A CRAP CRACKER! You are almost ready to go to that show. One more fender to go! The front is wonky in two ways: It sits real high off of the tire and the struts don’t want to mate to barrel mounts, also that disc caliper is kinda in the way. If you have the means to do so, cut the other 30mm spacer in half. This will allow you to clear the fork blades and caliper. A few presta valve nuts can do the job if you have no proper way to make a cut.

Spacer cut freehand in a vice with a aluminum hacksaw and filed down a touch, washers and 40mm bolts. All provided.

Yeah, the struts stick out kinda far but hey who cares?! You’re just trying to stay dry.

Yeah, yeah, this ain’t pretty either but this is easily fixed with a slotted or drilled out plate used as an adaptor to drop the fender down and close that gap. This piece will cost you pennies at the hardware store. You can figure it out. I know you can!

So you are done wrestling this beast. Now mount up and go catch that show, I’m sure the opening act sucked anyway.

Ogre with fenders. Now you can keep your fancy pants and shoes clean. Big deal. Did I mention the other thing you could do? It would be to get a direct mount front der and adaptor. We might make that change somewhere down the road.

Did I mention it is cold here in Minnesota right now?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_Q7TlcXLJ0

 

 

 

Dip It In Mud

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So I’ve been seeing a lot in the news lately about new companies designing bikes that “solve all the old problems of the old bike”.  They achieve this by adding extra moving parts, adding new pivot points, enclosing the whole thing in hard candy shell, integrating headsets/stems/handlebars/seats/other and endlessly searching for new materials with which to build their new and improved monoliths of industry.

I find it interesting how much energy is being put into this right now.  By no coincidence is this happening during a time when more and more people are riding bikes.  If there’s money in it (and there is) people will try to figure out a way to make a bunch of that money, and one of the best ways to do that is to tell everyone that you’ve fixed a problem with what came before and your version of a thing is the newest and best.  Your version makes more sense than every other version that came before it.  Because all of the others had this build in (and unspoken) “problem” that you have brilliantly solved, by adding more moving parts/pivot points/integrated hoo-hahs and so on.

The bike as it stands today is largely unchanged from the bike of yesterday (or the day before that or the day before that) and there is a very good reason for that.  It works really really well. A bicycle is a piece of technology that you can dip in a giant bowl of mud, pull it out and immediately start riding; you don’t even have to wipe it off first.  Try really hard to think of another piece of technology that you could do this with.  Sure they make things all fancy and waterproof now, but a bike doesn’t even need that.  It’s an incredibly simple piece of machinery that operates incredibly well, even without any kind of maintenance.  Think of the bikes you see out there on the road: covered in rust from head to toe, not just the frame, but all the moving parts as well, and people just ride them down the street like that.  It’s true that that kind of bike doesn’t operate as well as an even occasionally maintained machine, not to mention one that has regular maintenance but it operates none the less and it will get you where you’re going.

The mud test is something that has actually happened to me.  Riding my Moonlander around the river trails last fall, I tried to go around a creek in order to avoid crossing on a felled tree (because I’m a coward) and ended up around a corner planting the Moony headfirst in a quagmire that would make Vorgornus Koth soil his jammies.  Now I’m a big dude (fatso as some would call me), and when I plant a bike in mud, it goes in deep.  The entire front wheel (up to the handle bar) and the crankset, chainrings and all were fully submerged in that thick goo.  The back wheel was spared as the momentum of me going over the bars kept it from even touching the mud, it stood up like an erect monument to sunken treasures and bad decisions everywhere.  I pulled the bike out of the mud, walked it (above my head) to firmer ground, got up on it, and rode home.  I cleaned and checked it when I got there (about 11 miles later) but it rode remarkably well and took no damage, just needed a deep clean.

On a side note, the fall was the most painless I’ve ever had (there have been many) it was like going OTB into a marshmallow, so soft and sweet.

Mud tests aside, it’s important to note that I’m not saying that bikes can’t be better, on the contrary, I think that everything can be better. I just question the notion (rational) of taking something that is so simple and works so incredibly well and trying to reinvent it, instead of refine it.

If all technology worked in that fashion, what would a wheel look like??

Now go dip your bike in mud and ride home.

(for legal reasons I can’t actually tell you to do that so don’t)

 

(but really do)

 

(no don’t)

 

(wink)

 

These are a few of my favorite things.

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Hi folks,

Why do we buy the things we buy?  Or for that matter, why do we buy this item over that similar item?  I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit lately.

We’ve all purchased something to “just-get-me-by-for-now.”  I know I’ve done it.  Many times I find myself bummed that I didn’t spend the extra cash on a higher quality item in order to save a few bucks in the short run.  Unsurprised, I usually find myself disappointed in some fashion as time marches on.

Other times, I find that I pay a little extra for something special.  Why?  Well, there are lots of reasons why I buy the things I buy.  Today, however, I want to talk specifically about what it means to purchase something of high quality. 

We’re not talking about buying something with the highest price, but rather, making a purchase that will provide you with the most return on your investment.  You know, the good stuff in life.

So, where am I going with this?  Well, I’m certainly not going to preach to you about why you should buy a Surly over something else.  You’re smart enough to make that decision on your own. 

I’m here today to give you a taste of 10 quality things I’ve run across in 2012 that I feel are worth paying a little extra money for.  I’ve found them to be of particularly high quality, some old, some new.  I digress.

Let’s call it, Greg’s Favorite Things

Some of this stuff I own.  Some, I wish I owned.  No I’m not being paid to say these things so kill your conspiracy theory.  In fact, please let me know if you think you’ve got something I should see that should replace one of the items on my list.   Okay?  Okay.

In no particular order, my list begins.

1. Benchmade Griptillian Folding Pocket Knife.

 

I’ve owned my Benchmade for over 5 years now.  I bought the Black on Black model with a Tanto point from little outfitter in Hendersonville, N.C. while I was working as a Mountain Bike Trip Leader at Camp Mondamin.
The thing I like most about the Griptillian is that the body of the knife is tough.  I’ve used it as a hammer, opened about 5,000 beers with it, used it as a pry bar.  You name it.  The grip is still in great shape and contours the hand nicely. 
The locking mechanism from Benchmade is, in my opinion one of the best on the market.  It’s a snap to engage with only one hand and allows the blade to lock into position with the flick of a wrist. 
Also, the blade is very sharp and holds an edge for a long time under heavy use.  Cutting rope, paper, heavy packing tape and dissecting fish with ease. 

2. Bulleit Rye from the Bulleit Distillery Lawrenceburg, KY.

 

Admittedly, I am not a Bourbon or Whiskey snob.  In fact, I know very little about how this stuff is made or why it tastes so damn good.  Bulleit Rye is smooth and subtle, even to the untrained palette.  It’s perfect for sipping, shooting, and mixing.  What I like most about this Rye is it has a kick and then a slow warm up in the belly.  This distilled delight will wake up your taste buds without burning your goozle.  This Whisky is perfect for passing around the table and enjoying good conversation.

3. Kawasaki KLR 650

 

For me, this motorcycle is the perfect machine for the things I like to do and is also a great platform for trips I’d like to take in the future.  With the KLR you get a lot of bang for your buck.  The 650cc thumper engine is relatively simple to repair or hop-up and the amount of used and aftermarket parts available are astounding.  The bike will run right up to 100mph which is fast enough for me any day.  Also, the KLR is a work horse.  I’ve mounted a Happy trails Top Box for carrying and stacking cargo and plan to also mount Happy Trails Pannier Boxes this spring for extended trips.  The bike handles it’s own well in both on and off road situations and is light enough for even a novice rider like myself to maneuver even in precarious situations.  I’ll see the Gun Flint trail on my KLR this summer.

4. Red Wing 926 6-inch Work Boot

I never understood why some people swear by one pair of boots over another until now.  First, the experience I got at my local Red Wing store was fantastic.  We sized my foot for length and width and tried on probably 6 pairs so I could find the model that felt the best.  My feet are long and narrow so a size 12A was the ticket for me.  The  full leather 926 has standard lacing over the top of the foot and then presents two sets of studs for friction lacing at about ankle height.  This boot can be resoled, re-stiched, and mended from top to bottom.  For me, the best part is the replaceable insole, which means you can shove in a new foot bed and essentially have a new pair of boots that has already been worn and stretched to your own feet.  These boots look great and perform like a true work boot should. They are comfortable and stable all day, everyday and make my feet smile.

5. Ruger MK series .22 Pistol

Yes, this is a gun folks.  Sorry if I have offended you.
I don’t own one of these Rugers yet, however, I have had the pleasure of holding a nice stainless model in my hand at the Gander Mountain off of Flying Cloud Drive (for the locals).  This little guy is everything I want in a target pistol.  The action is time tested and smooth and the finish is very pretty.  The Ruger .22 pistol over the years has been a favorite among avid shooters for its reliability and accuracy even when very dirty.  Any of the Ruger MK or even Pre-MK Standard models would make a nice addition to your bug out bag because of their relatively light-weight and tack driving ability.  I’ll likely get set up with an MK III in stainless steel and wooden grips if I can find one.  I plan to use mine for fun “plinking” and maybe even small game hunting. 

6. Pentel Graph Gear 500 Pencil

The Graph Gear 500 is one of those pencils you just don’t want to lose.  I love this thing and have a minor freak out when it goes missing.  Fortunately for $4 I can grab a new one at a drug store at any time.  This mechanical pencil comes in multiple lead diameter configurations to suit any of your needs.  The shaft is hard plastic that meets a knurled metal barrel at the grip.  The elongated nose of the utensil keeps the thin stick of lead securely locked in place and safe from breaking. Even when dropped!  Most people throw pencils away or lose them and move on.  The Pentel Graph Gear 500, however, has staying power and feels great in my hand.  Yup, a pencil is one of my favorite things.

7. Brooks B-17 Saddle with Copper rivets

The classic look and hard-fought appeal of the Brooks B-17 is almost unmistakable.  These fine leather saddles are far more than a beauty to behold.  The B-17 is made of high-grade leather that at first feels a lot liking sitting on a board.  After a little pre-conditioning and a few hundred miles you have yourself a saddle that is durable, beautiful and COMFORTABLE!   This saddle will form to fit your body when it breaks in. My personal saddle is a dyed black and features hand pounded rivets which I find more comfortable than the cheaper steel rivets.  If you’re looking to have a “relationship” with your saddle over many years, the B-17 is worth a second look.  Especially, if you have a bony ass or wider-set hips, speaking from experience. 


8. Mole Skin Hardbound Journal

I’ll admit I’ve had a long time obsession with good stationary.  Admission is half the battle right?  The Mole Skin Hard Bound Journal is my favorite thing to write in.  The exterior is tough, usually bound with a standard black cover.  The pages are rather thick.  You never have to worry about bleed-through and writing on either side of the paper is much more enjoyable.  One the Front page there is a space for your name, contact information if lost, and a line for a cash reward if you choose to offer one. On the back interior cover there is small folder for things like business cards, bus tickets or your favorite baseball card.  I prefer the 5 X 8.25 inches model with the graph paper lines.  Graph paper is great for doodles or writing prose.  These notebooks are more expensive than most, however, I’ve found it very satisfying to add another full-notebook to my collection.

9. Stanley Adventure Carbonated Drink Bottle 32 Oz.

I scored this bottle at a tradeshow a couple years back so technically I never paid for it.  That said, it’s a great bottle.  I’ve used it for beer many times and I’ve never had any leakage.  Also, the beer usually has some carbonation left even after a 10 mile MTB ride.  The bottle is a rigid plastic and thick.  I’m never afraid of dropping or cracking this bottle.  Also there is a small carry handle on the side that makes for comfortable sipping.  The best feature is how you fill the bottle.  The entire top of the bottle screws off where the insulation-wrap meets the molding of the top portion.  This allows for easy pouring and cleaning.  Fortunately, Stanley also provided us with a small drinking spout at the very top which makes this large volume bottle easy to drink from.  I can’t remember a day in the last year that I didn’t use this bottle. I’ve washed it only a hand full of times, it still clean and shows no sign of grimy build up.  Thumbs up.

10. Surly Krampus

The Krampus is our new mountain bike.  I like it for lots of reasons.  First, because it puts us back on the radar of mountain bikers looking for something other than the run of the mill 5-inch travel full sus. bike.  The way it handles accounts for the other 562 reasons I love this rig.  Oh and it’s easy on the eyes too!  The frame is butted CroMoly and the geometry feels more aggressive when compared to other popular 29’ers. The 50mm wide Rabbit Hole rims and Knard 3.0 tires make a happy  29+ pair in most heavy cornering conditions as well as providing the rider with a sense of skull-crushing-confidence.  Mine is built with an SLX/XT drivetrain and heavenly Ice Tech XT brakes.  I like the brakes so much that I wish I was sharing 11 of my favorite things with you.  I run a Thompson Elite Post and Stem in black.  A Chromag Fubar, ODI lock-on grips, and a cane creek headset round out the cock pit.  Normally I run a Brooks B-17 saddle, right now I’m using a WTB Pure V.  For the record I personally prefer the B-17.  I use Crank Bros. Candy pedals.  Not sure which model, they’re a few years old.  Salsa flip lock skewers firmly hold the wheels in place.  Currently, I’m running a Surly MWOD crank, which is nice fix when using a front der. on the Krampus.  The Krampus is my favorite mountain bike.  Ever.

And I’m spent.  Happy New Year.

Greg

2 plank memories or something not entirely bike related

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Well I’m balls deep in planning/forecasting/ordering Fat bike product for y’all for next winter and I’m feelin’ a lil like this:

And to my surprise a former co-worker was kind enough to post this on the ol face books….

…which got me thinkin I’m pretty photogenic!  But, this photo also took me down memory lane a bit.  You see, I haven’t always worked in the bike biz; I played at being a bus driver while living the ski bum life.  The fella in the photo opposite me is Scotty Bob who did some cool stuff like product testing for the North Face’s infamous WoolTex which never made it to production but was a very fine fabric wink  He now owns his own company and makes beautiful hand crafted skis.  If you like to strap boards on your feet in the winter and turn em downhill  you should check out his product at

http://www.scottybob.com/skiworks/

Since we are on the ski topic I received this little nugget from another former co worker who has recently moved west to work for one of them ski/climb companies.

 

 

Sounds like Copper Mountain has changed a bit since I lived in the area?!

Well I better get back to throwing darts at numbers on the wall to see how many Nate’s we’ll need next winter…when I’m done I’m off do a little of this.

 

 

Inherent Value

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I’d like to talk about bikes for a minute, and more specifically the value of bikes. See that bike hanging on the hook in your basement or garage?  How much money do you have into it?  What do you use yours for?  Are you getting your money’s worth, and how do you know?  Let’s face it - a bike is a fancy pile of metal and plastic. Its true value is no different than most other possessions – it’s in what you want it for and for what it can do for you.

Most things are designed to serve a purpose and sometimes more a window of potential uses than a specific purpose. Take the bicycle for example. The material and geometry are best suited to a style of riding, or a type of terrain, but the bike is not limited to that. I wouldn’t point a road bike down a full blown DH course, but you get the point.  The window of potential uses is fairly broad for most bikes. They’re remarkably strong and capable. It helps if the rider is too, but whatever. Run what you brung and you’ll do all right.

What the hell am I getting at?  I’m getting at this: it might be time to take that bike out and do with it what you really want. If you bought a bike, you already know how you want to use that bike. What you were dreaming of when you plunked down that cold hard cash?

Go out and find what you’re looking for with that bike and then do it. Don’t worry about wrecking it.  Jump a curb, chase your dog, rip a berm, pull your kid around the block, ride across Montana.  Your stuff will get dirty and dinged up no doubt, but chances are it will continue to work and it will be there for you. Certain things in this world need to be perfect to be enjoyed, but bicycles just ain’t one of them.

So get out there.  Channel your inner Jay Springsteen. Or Bruce Springsteen.  Or whatever.  You won’t impress anyone, but that’s not what this is about.  Dare to go out on a selfish ride.  Don’t worry about your bike or those runners or those dog walkers or those better looking bikers.  Dare to be adequate.  You might get somewhere and you might not, but you’ll have fun for sure. To me that’s the real value of a bike.

Fat Tires and Front Derailleurs

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Fat Tires and Front Derailleurs, Ad nauseam.

    Earlier last year I was experimenting with wide rims + big tires on my Karate Monkey and had the joy of dealing with tire rub on my front derailleur cage. I was using an early proto of what led to the Rabbit Hole rim and a Maxxis Ardent 2.4” tire. Thankfully we make [and supply with our frames] a nice little fitting, the “Monkey Nut V2” [MNV2].

    Several Surly frames, starting with the Karate Monkey, have come equipped with our horizontal dropout with a derailleur hanger. This little frame bit is appropriately referred to as the “Karate Monkey Dropout.” Clever marketing, I know. The reason for this combination is it allows for single speed use, multi geared drive trains with derailleurs, or internally geared hubs. All executed quite simply.

    On many of our frames, if you opt for the geared configuration you can run your wheel fully forward in the dropout with a front derailleur and have no issues. This is true for our complete bikes, as we pick tires and front derailleurs that play nice together. For a while, many of the front derailleurs being produced by 2 of the major derailleur manufactures came in a “multi pull” version. This was a great innovation for shops and consumers, though maybe not for the Karate Monkey. Shops only needed to stock 1 model of derailleur which came with seat tube shims to cover what used to take 6 different versions. Easier inventory management, and consumers were more likely to be able to walk into a shop and buy a front derailleur on the spot, versus having to special order something. One side effect, evident on our frames, was that all that adjustability encroached on tire clearance. At the same time, tire manufactures were realizing that bigger 29’er tires were a good thing and tires up to and bigger than 2.3” started to be available. This was a great, but didn’t help with the clearance issue that was developing. It was when these became available that we realized we had some issues with certain tires on the Karate Monkey. As a result, after some revision of the original, the Monkey Nut version 2 [MNV2] came about [there is that clever marketing again]. We could have simply made the chainstays on our frames longer, but this would penalize those who ride single speeds, or 2.1” tires, or didn’t use the multi-pull derailleur. Those people [including Surly employees] still wanted the shorter rear center if possible. 

    What this little piece does is give you, the consumer/owner/mechanic of a Surly frame, a nice dead stop for wheel installation. This deadstop is 14mm rearward from full forward. If you are using a front derailleur that has a large cage and a big volume tire, you may have some clearance issues. The MNV2 positions your wheel away from the derailleur, which you could do without the MNV2, but it gives you a consistent spot to position your wheel, so your brakes [disc or rim] always stay in adjustment [considerably harder without using the MNV2]. It will also prevent your wheel from pulling forward, in the event that your wheel was insufficiently tightened [it happens to all of us once, admit it], which isn’t a super big deal on a single speed, but if there is potential tire and front derailleur interference, it could damage the derailleur.

    We supply Monkey Nuts with all of our frames that use the KM dropout and/or our Troll dropout, and they are a handy little piece. On the Krampus for example, you can run the frame in a 1x__ set up without the MNV2 and have a shorter rear center. If you need the added gear range of a front derailleur; you could outfit your frame with one of our offset double cranks [Mr. Whirly MWOD or OD Crank], a front derailleur and slip the MNV2 into your dropout. Plenty of front shifting clearance.


Social this.

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Seeing how I am the self appointed “Tsar of Anti-Social Media” I wanted to take a moment to talk to you about social media and how it fits within Surly. I understand some of you do not particularly care for things like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, so on and so forth (the names alone make me want to hate them right away). Not everyone that works for Surly likes the whole social media thing as well; but everyone understands it has its place and its uses. I get the feeling that most of the angst revolves around the fact that it’s not cool because everyone is using it. It’s not punk rock enough for you and you’re way too cool for that. I get that. I mean, why would you want to be just like everyone else? After all, you’re a unique and very special snowflake, right? You’re not going to fall in line with the rest of the cattle. Just because everyone is doing it doesn’t make it right, right? That’s all well and good but I’m here to tell you no matter how hard you try and ignore it, it’s not going to go away any time soon. For some companies it’s become the way they do business, they live and die in that world. Other companies try too hard and it becomes blatantly obvious that they have no idea what they’re doing. We tend to do things our way around here.

 

Even at deer camp I'm working.

 

Here’s what I think about social media: Social media should be used by companies to be nothing more than social with the people who use and enjoy your products. I know that may be pretty hard to wrap your head around so give it moment to sink in. I believe that you shouldn’t use social media to sell your products; there are far too many better ways to do that. I’d much rather see you go to your local bike shop for some real world human interaction than have you click on a link on your Facebook page. Trust me, its way more rewarding to do that and you are doing your part to keep cycling alive in your community. I view social media they way Surly does it as an insight to who we are, what we do, how we do it, and the world we live in. Most importantly I think it should be fun. It’s not always going to be politically correct, prim and proper, and even relevant all of the time. It’s not our soap box, that’s what our blog is for.  We don’t use all of it all of the time and days can go by with not a peep from us. We don’t have a ton of fans on Facebook or a shitload of followers on Twitter. What we have are honest people that follow us that are true fans of Surly Bikes, not inflated numbers from “fan gating”.

 

Everyone that works for Surly has administrator permissions for all of the social media we chose to work with, but not everyone chooses to use it. It’s not just one person speaking for the entire brand; that would be boring and transparent. I work closely with our marketing department to make sure we’re all on the same page so to speak and kind of oversee all of this. It’s not perfect in any sense of the word. If it was it wouldn’t be Surly.

 

One more thing I’d like to mention: I’ve created a dealer only Facebook group so Surly dealers have a way to communicate with one another as well as a way for us to get time sensitive information out to them. If you’re a Surly dealer and you don’t know about this for some reason feel free to contact us about it.

 

The bottom line is that if you choose to interact with us through social media then that’s cool. If you choose not to, that’s cool as well. I just hope that you choose to interact with us in some manner - be it email, phone or snail mail.

 

Oh yeah, don’t forget to vote!

Off

New News From Old Surly Pal

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Perhaps you recall from a few years ago a group of individuals who rode their bicycles over and along the continuous ridge of mountains that run north to south, the continental divide created by the upsurge of clashing tectonic plates along western flanks of North and South America.

They called their effort Riding The Spine.

We have been fortunate to hear back once in a while from some of them. In one case, a few years ago, Goat was in Argentina with something of a mechanical and wrote to ask if we could send him what he needed to get fixed and moving. I put together a care package and sent it off but it failed to arrive. Our man behind the scenes, Tanner, did some ace detective work but got nowhere with Argentinian customs. Goat was appreciative anyway and appeared nonplussed and amiable. I did not hear much after that. A few days ago I got an email from Goat.

good day
hope all is well

l am by chance in argentina again
and it turns out the stuff you sent
did finally arrive...

only about a year too late

didnt really make sense to try to take it back to the US with me
(l´m not bike touring at the moment)

so a friend (bambucliceta.com) and l
whipped up what is probably the only fat bike in south america

thought l´d send a photo

 

 

I wrote back with encouragement and questions and he responded:

right on

l didnt get to ride it
frustrating though that is
(the problem with being on car time)

had to leave 6 in the morning after finnishing it at midnight or something
the polyester resin needs to cure for a while to reach full strength anyway

l´ve been in patagonia walking not biking
trekking with my mom
in all the famously beautiful places down here

then went for a week or so to visit some friends in argentina
which turned into a week or so of bike building
with a little bike riding thrown in

now l´m off to canada for a bit
whre l will meet up with a fellow fatlongbike tourist
and we will see what happens...

as for the patagonao bamboo fat bike
l´m concerned that the seat stays will be a little bit anoying
too close to the path of the legs
especialy in the non drive side

hopefully the recipient shreads it

rock on
goat

And so begins another chapter. More news as events warrant.

While Supplies Last, Don’t Miss This Chance of a Lifetime

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So people are always buggin’ me about the ads we (occasionally) run and how they want to have a copy of those cool/creepy/offensive/horrible illustrations and pictures in a nice format that they can hang on their shop wall, or in their dungeon or where ever.

Well now you can have those “fancy” images for your very own.

Introducing, the 2013ish Surly Calendar. 

It’s got some cool art and you can hang it on your wall and it will tell you what day it is (at least help you attempt to figure it out).

You might be saying, “Hey asshole, the year has already started so why would I want to buy that thing?”  I dunno, is my answer, though I should say that the calendar begins in March of 2013 and ends in February of 2014.

Confusing?  Not really.  Next year we’ll put out another one, in our attempt to make March the first month of the year, and February the last.

You can order one of these through your local bike shop if you want.  That dude who does the creepy videos for the blog created all the images, he’s our art director, and yes he really is that weird.

So if you have trouble figuring out what day it is, or if you haven’t bought a calendar for $00.25 yet, or if you just want some high quality prints of some cool Surly art, get one. 

We didn’t print a whole hell of a lot of them, so if you want one, better get on that.

New News From Old Surly Pal

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Perhaps you recall from a few years ago a group of individuals who rode their bicycles over and along the continuous ridge of mountains that run north to south, the continental divide created by the upsurge of clashing tectonic plates along western flanks of North and South America.

They called their effort Riding The Spine.

We have been fortunate to hear back once in a while from some of them. In one case, a few years ago, Goat was in Argentina with something of a mechanical and wrote to ask if we could send him what he needed to get fixed and moving. I put together a care package and sent it off but it failed to arrive. Our man behind the scenes, Tanner, did some ace detective work but got nowhere with Argentinian customs. Goat was appreciative anyway and appeared nonplussed and amiable. I did not hear much after that. A few days ago I got an email from Goat.

good day
hope all is well

l am by chance in argentina again
and it turns out the stuff you sent
did finally arrive...

only about a year too late

didnt really make sense to try to take it back to the US with me
(l´m not bike touring at the moment)

so a friend (bambucicleta.com) and l
whipped up what is probably the only fat bike in south america

thought l´d send a photo

 

 

I wrote back with encouragement and questions and he responded:

right on

l didnt get to ride it
frustrating though that is
(the problem with being on car time)

had to leave 6 in the morning after finnishing it at midnight or something
the polyester resin needs to cure for a while to reach full strength anyway

l´ve been in patagonia walking not biking
trekking with my mom
in all the famously beautiful places down here

then went for a week or so to visit some friends in argentina
which turned into a week or so of bike building
with a little bike riding thrown in

now l´m off to canada for a bit
whre l will meet up with a fellow fatlongbike tourist
and we will see what happens...

as for the patagonao bamboo fat bike
l´m concerned that the seat stays will be a little bit anoying
too close to the path of the legs
especialy in the non drive side

hopefully the recipient shreads it

rock on
goat

And so begins another chapter. More news as events warrant.

The Rolling Curb Hop

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            Wheelies are neat-o. That's just a fact. But being able to do even a little wheelie is more than just cool. After staying upright and riding with no hands, being able to pull the front end up is the most basic skill you acquire if you are an aspiring rider and not just a casual one.  I'm not just talking about 'mountain bikers' either. Getting your bike's front wheel off the ground when you want to comes in pretty handy in all kinds of situations, on all knds of bikes, and it never becomes less handy, no matter what other skills you develop as a rider. You’ll always find places where it’s useful to lighten the front end and lift it over something without stopping. And I have noticed that lots of people don’t know how to do this, including many people who ride a fair amount. You don’t need to wheelie to ride a bike but knowing how expands where and how you can ride. Lots of people reading this can already ride a perfectly respectable, full-blown wheelie, but lots of people reading this are riders who cannot do a wheelie of any sort. This essay covers the basics of how to get up and over curbs, logs, and lots of other small obstacles.

            The idea behind the rolling curb hop is mainly weight distribution with some leverage on the pedals to help. Remember: a saddle is a perch, not a La-Z-Boy. You move around on it as you ride, sometimes standing up slightly, keeping your weight balanced against the terrain and inertia. You hold your body steady, suspending your head and torso with your arms and legs, allowing the bike to move somewhat independently beneath you.

            A rolling curb hop goes like this: A few inches before the obstacle shift your weight back a little on the saddle. Pull up and back on the bar while gassing the crank (I usually like to have one of my feet just past top center so I can gain maximum leverage) and, if all goes right, the front wheel comes off the ground. Hey presto! It doesn’t have to be for a long time or very high off the ground. Just enough to get the wheel on top of whatever you’re trying to traverse. With some practice nearly anyone can learn to do this reliably and safely, except some physically or developmentally disabled people, recumbent riders, unicyclists, the extremely aged, or Luby’s mom, who always seems to end up on her back. Hey-O!

            A good way to begin your road to wheelieing (wow, that word is a handful, isn’t it?) if you’re a novice rider is to find a small ledge to go down. Stand up slightly and shift your weight back a bit while approaching it at a ninety degree angle or thereabout. Let the front drop and follow along. Get a feel for it. This is to encourage an awareness of weight distribution.

            Next find a smooth, unobstructed strip of terrain on which to practice, preferrably flat, like a parking lot or a long driveway. Go forward at a slowish pace. Shift back on the saddle and sit up a little. Press sort of hard on the pedal. It should be in a lower gear, but maybe not the lowest. Pull the bar toward your chest. Don’t forget to keep your weight shifted back.

            Practice that a bunch. Experiment. Different balances and intensity of effort in these areas will gain different results. Don’t worry, you’re not going to fall over backwards at this stage of the game, but if it makes you feel better then keep your finger on the rear brake lever. This is your bail out button and if you squeeze it the front wheel will drop to the ground. Most people are frightened of getting the wheel off the ground. There’s no reason to be. You can do this. After practicing this a few sessions you will begin to get your wheel off the ground briefly and more or less reliably.

            Next, find an obstacle located in a safe, traffic-free place. Up a curb from street to sidewalk works well if you’ve got one of those, because it's a decent height, it’s a common challenge for many people, and it goes from one level surface to another. If you don’t have that, however, don’t worry. Find anything you can ride over or onto that it is maybe 4 to 8 inches high.  A branch, a flat rock, a low porch.

            Now do it. Ride at it. Don’t go too fast, you can work up to that. Get your finger on the rear brake lever just in case. Stay loose. Line your feet up where you want them. Watch your approach. Don’t close your eyes. Get ready, lean back, and….

            O.K., so now you’ve been practicing and you’re getting the front wheel up. Once you’ve got the front up and over, stand and move your weight forward a bit to lighten the rear wheel. Let it track or bounce lightly up and over. One fluid motion, from sitting with weight shifted back to not quite standing. Sit back down.

            Now see there? Look at you.

            My lovely and talented better half learned to hop curbs under this program. She was a strong and enthusiastic, if somewhat undisciplined, rider when I met her. And she, like many people, can get quite anxious when it comes to activities that seem likely to invite personal injury. But she kept at it and in about a month she could do it every time she tried and no longer worried too much about falling. By the end of summer she was ascending every curb she encountered with confidence.

            Things slow down a little when you finally get the hang of it. You will never forget it. You will have one of those full mind and body memories of it. You will need never again fear a curb when there is oncoming traffic, objects on the trail, or whathaveyou. You’re superfly. Now go get ‘em, tiger.

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