Today a customer brought his bike in and purchased a rack which the Bike Hermit installed- without charging for his time. On Saturday last, he installed a rack and new grips and frame bags on a customer’s bike. The bike and all the parts had belonged to Bike Touring News just hours before. Is that exceptional- or not even average- customer service, the Bike Hermit wonders. While visiting in Danville, CA a few years ago the Bike Hermit happened to be in a bike shop when a customer was consummating his purchase for what appeared to be a not inexpensive road bike. Part of his purchase was new road bike shoes. When he was asked by the customer how the cleats on his new shoes should be installed, the cashier person didn’t even budge from his stool as he told the customer basically to figure it out. That appears to be piss poor customer service.
From a strictly business view we should probably figure out how long each widget takes to install and charge accordingly. Maybe the Bike Hermit is the slowest bike mechanic in the world but if he charged for the time he spent installing fenders- for the most flagrant example- the labor charge would far exceed the cost of the fenders.
Working on bikes is something he would almost do for free, wait a minute……he does do it for free. Sky King and the Bike Hermit would, and do, talk about bikes and bike touring for free too. As a business model, we probably won’t be on Shark Tank soon, but as long as we can spend January in West Texas, this is the best job ever!
At the 2014 Interbike trade show, it seemed to us that 27.5″ (a 650b by any other name would ride as sweet), so called “29+” and fatbike tires are gaining traction with manufacturers and with consumers. As fans of the 29+ wheel/tire combo as on the Surly ECR we were excited about the number of upcoming offerings for tires and rims. 29+ Maxxis have 29 x 3″ tires coming out. The Maxxis Chronicle 29 x 3″ tire
Stans NoTubes showed the Hugo 52 rim which is designed to work with tires such as the Surly Knard 29 x 3. (There will be 26″ and 27.5″ versions too) Generally, a non-tubeless-ready tire will not work well in a tubeless application even if the rim is made for tubeless. That is because the bead of a non-tubeless tire will not mate properly with the bead seat on a tubeless rim. But Stans designed the bead seat on this rim to work with non tubeless tires. They developed a sort of reverse box rim design so the profile from the outside is almost impossibly slim since the box section intrudes to the interior of the rim. In order to mount the tire, the rim needs to be basically inserted inside the tire cavity so that each tire bead is on the outside of the rim. Then each bead is worked over the rim from outside to inside. The Stans NoTubes Hugo 52 rim looks impossibly thin when a tire is mounted, but has the strength of a double wall section. Very thin looking section!
29″ (700c), 27.5″ (650b) and 26″ (26″) Hugo 52 rims.Profile of the Hugo 52 rim with rim tape installed.
The Bike Hermit™ has been a curmudgeon when it comes to tubeless tires but with the lower pressures we have been running in the 29 x 3″ tires for desert touring he is pretty stoked about these tubeless rims because one of the main advantages of tubeless is the reduced chance of pinch flats when running low pressure tires (around 12 psi or so in the Knards). FATBIKE TIRES
A couple monthe ago I asked my Schwalbe salesperson when he thought Schwalbe might make a fatbike tire. He said, basically- when they thought fatbikes had legs. Well, fatbikes got legs! Apparently: A fatbike tire with the Schwalbe name! Behold- Jumbo Jim
On Monday September 8 between 4 and 5 inches of rain fell in southern Nevada and wiped out portions of I-15, the main highway between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, and resulted in the worst flooding in over 30 years in the area. We heard about it first from Eric Parsons who was having his booth for Interbike shipped to him from Salt Lake. He finally got it set up around six PM…after the first day of the show.
When we stopped by again on Thursday we had a chance to talk and to get updates on new stuff from Revelate Designs;
They have a prototype for a new Tangle Bag (the original will still be made) which addresses the stress on the zipper to the main compartment. Apparently that side is the one that is most abused with a loaded bag. The prototype (which is close to production) uses a flexible cover shield to keep out the elements and a non-waterproof zipper for durability. The final bag may incorporate a more flexible material on the top of the bag where it attaches to the top tube to further reduce stress on the zipper area.
New zipper cover.The new zipper is not waterproof but is more durable.This daisy chain webbing allows for a custom fit when using other top tube bags.
They still make some bags out of the super light Cuben Fibre material but it is so labor intensive that they don’t wholesale the bags yet. There is a mid weight material though that is very tough and durable and is a similar swanky looking white. This climbing backpack (not for sale)has seen years of abuse.
The areas subject to stress and abrasion still use the heavier material.
There is a newly designed Pocket as well. This one features a curved zipper which creates sort of a lid, the idea being that it will be easier to access while on the bike. The bag is also reinforced in a way that it retains its shape and there are attachments that will make the bag more stable when used as a standalone piece, without a Harness or Sweet Roll. The new front Pocket has a redesigned interior too.
New smiley face zipper on Revelate Designs Pocket
I’m glad we went back and had a chance to talk with the guys from Revelate Designs because, at first glance, there didn’t appear to be a lot that was new. But they are always thinking and tinkering and improving. We are looking forward to the next generations of bikepacking gear!
Interbike
OK time for the annual Interbike trade show in Las Vegas and for my annual rant about the bike “industry”. Why is every bicycling publication, product and advertisement focused on performance? I logged into my show planner on the Interbike website to search for products and companies in the Navigation/Maps/GPS category since that seemed like a logical place to find gear for bike touring.
Here is a pic from the Bike Computer page on the website of one of the leading GPS makers: From the Garmin Website.
Another maker calls their GPS computer “the perfect companion for any professional athlete in training”. What? Talk about a tiny market segment.
I’m sick of being insulted by every publication and company that tells me I need to climb faster and ride stronger and hammer out of the saddle every time I get on my super light, super stiff road bike and to fly through the air every time I get on my full suspension 29’r mountain bike.
What sort of “industry” is so myopic that they think they need to sell the same stuff, with a few tweaks to make it shinier and/or lighter, to the same people over and over again? How does that grow the market? I still think road racing is a beautiful sport but allowing the racing tail to wag the cycling dog (I didn’t make that up. I stole it from somebody but I can’t remember who) is a disastrous mistake and only serves to intimidate potential bicycle riders and to scare them away from bicycling.
For many years, Interbike- the annual bicycle trade show, was held in Las Vegas at the Sands Convention Center, which is sort of a dump. No food or beverages could be brought in so a person either had to walk to one of the adjacent casinos to eat or buy some junk food at the concession stand in the venue. We always stayed at the Imperial Palace Casino because they had the best rates for show attendees. The Imperial Palace has to be one of the oldest casinos on the strip and it is a little run down- the original main entrance is now basically off an alley and the original lobby is completely abandoned. Now the main entrance is what was probably a side or service entrance into the casino back in the day.
The new venue, as of 2013, is the Mandalay Bay and attendee lodging is at the Excalibur. These are newer casinos at the south end of the strip. It’s a hike from one to the other but one that can be made while remaining indoors. The new venue has an outdoor food court, which actually has good food, and a beer garden which last year featured Sierra Nevada Brewing. Much more better! Bike Touring News will be attending again this year as “Working Media”. It sounds weird to say that, but a blog is media these days. And it is definitely work.
Our focus this year is on bikepacking and everything related. While the Bike Hermit is quick to point out the negatives in any situation, there are some people and companies who are going against the trends and against the big players. The suppliers we will be visiting at the show include: Euro Asia Imports Old Man Mountain Revelate Designs Lone Peak Packs Ortlieb
Other suppliers who won’t be in attendance but who distribute quality, sustainable products (which we sell) are:
Peter White Cycles; Peter White is the guru of dynamo lighting systems and battery powered headlights and tail lights from Germany. (My rant about blindingflashingseizureinducing bicycle lights is for another post)
Merry Sales; Merry Sales distribute Sugino, Nitto, Ostrich and Interloc Racing Design (IRD) products among others. This t-shirt sums up this post nicely I think-
When asked how to get between Boise and Mountain Home on a bicycle without riding on I-84 and without riding the Old Oregon Trail, which is dirt road, I haven’t been able to give a good answer. Until now.
From Bike Touring News to the eastern most exit off of I-84 it is 14 miles. Take Federal Way south past Gowen Road to Memory Lane and turn right to the freeway Exit 59B. Actually, this route does mean about 8 or nine miles on the freeway, but the shoulder is wide and smooth and rumble strips divide it from the traffic. Ride to Exit 71 Mayfield Road. Turn left across the freeway to Desert Wind Road. Turn right and follow Desert Wind as it becomes W. Tilli Road. Turn right on Ditto Creek Road which crosses I-84 to the junction with Old Oregon Trail Highway. Turn left and parallel the freeway into Mountain Home. This is not the most scenic route in the world, but it will get you to Mountain Home and from there Old Highway 30 takes you to points East.
So we found the Bear Pete Trail and rode it. Here’s proof.
Watch for the new page with links to posts with current-ish conditions of these routes. The page link will be in the right column.
NO WHINING
My initial response to this misery is to put the blame on someone and then to either make hurtful comments to that person or pout; preferably both. This is not the way I had wanted to go. My route would have been much easier and would have involved effortless pedaling through be-flowered high mountain meadows with cool breezes at our backs, and butterflies. Instead we have been climbing on a dirt road for the last six miles and we still have two more miles to the summit.
Also aggravating me is the thought of the person I hold responsible- Sky King- sitting at the top right now waiting for me and almost certainly judging me for my lack of restraint at the Salmon River Brewery last night. They had barley wine. What was the Bike Hermit™ supposed to do? I am stewing at the top of the pass where we stop to eat lunch. I want to whine and to express my temper, but nobody else is complaining and so I keep it to myself.
It is looking less and less likely that we will make it to the Bear Pete trailhead today. The Bear Pete Trail is a 15 mile section of the 172 mile Secesh Option of the Idaho Hot Springs route map put out by Adventure Cycling Association. Adding to my frustration is my self imposed expectation of responsibility to the thousands of faithful readers who depend on this blog for all their bike touring news. I want to report the actual conditions of this trail, especially since we have been told by a local that it is almost un-rideable even with an unloaded mountain bike. The people at the McCall Ranger District of the Payette National Forest were very helpful and were able to tell us where crews had been and where they were currently working to clear downed trees from the trail.
MORE BIGGER TIRES
The more bikepacking I do the more I am convinced that three inch tires are the way to go. On this trip we are four people; two riding Surly ECR bikes with 29×3″ tires, one on a Salsa Fargo and me on the Big Dummy with three inch wide tires. You’ll have loose gravel and sand, boulder strewn singletrack, and off piste corrections in bikepacking and those sectors are smoothed out with bigger tires. Lack of traction also becomes less of a limiting factor. The disadvantage may be on paved sections but lately our trips have been mostly in the backcountry on “varied” surfaces. That said, the 29×3″ Surly Knard tires on the ECR roll surprisingly fast. Surly’s ECR 29+. The three inch tires are fast but they still give plenty of traction and comfort.
The Surly Big (fat) Dummy with Rabbit Hole rims and 26 x 3 inch tires
We camp in the puckerbrush on the northwest side of Granite Lake, about a mile down a single track trail, where we are protected from the RV campers. After setting up camp we ride a half mile further along the trail and discover a broad meadow with slow moving spring fed streams where we filter water into our bottles and bladders for the next day. Some sort of horned beast walked through our camp in the middle of the night; two of us heard it snorting and clomping around on the granite outcroppings. Salsa Anything Cage with Surly Junk Straps and Revelate Designs Mountain Feedbags doing extra duty for collecting water.
FAILURE AS AN OPTION
Two of us decide to push ahead the next day on the trail to Upper Payette Lake and maybe beyond to the Bear Pete trailhead, while the other two return to McCall the way we came yesterday. Soon- and this may come as no surprise to those who have been bikepacking with me- we were lost. The “trail” we had been following was only intermittently visible but was marked at intervals with two or three rocks stacked one on top of another. And the bigger downed trees blocking the way had been sectioned, creating passageways through which we could wheel the bikes. The trail shown on the forest service map I carried worryingly indicated a different bearing than the trail we were on, but there was no sign of another trail. We arrived at the top of the drainage where a great granite blister of the Idaho Batholith blocked our passage and we turned back.
Bikepacking 101 with Revelate Designs and Salsa Anything Cages
End of the “trail”
THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT
Being lost and disoriented is unnerving. Even though all we had to do on this day was follow the stream back down to the main trail, I still could induce a minor panic if I let myself. That’s why, when I was back safely in front of the computer and found the Adventure Cycling GPS files page for the Idaho Hot Springs Route, I immediately downloaded the files and the apps for my Droid phone. The app for Droid is called Locus (there is a free version but I splurged for the Pro version for $8.75) I used Dropbox on the phone and the computer to upload the files and it was ridiculously easy. All the instructions are on the Adventure Cycling page linked above.
Now that I have a backup for the map I feel a little more confident about trying some more sections of the route. This is some rugged, remote and unforgiving country. A small mistake can turn into a large problem and I might as well take every available advantage. I will still take my paper map and $13.00 compass though.
Please remember we carry bags, racks, tools, components and complete bikes for bikepacking and bike camping at the Bike Touring News Store
The Ostrich S-2 saddlebag is a traditional canvas saddlebag meant to be attached to the loops built into the rear of most leather saddles. These are made in Japan; “Excellent Equipment of Pack and Carrying Gear for All Cyclists at Heart” Nice! It has been discovered, although not by me, that this bag also fits on Jones Loop Bars as if it were made for them.
The Ostrich bag is self supporting.The lid of the S-2 only accesses about half the bag, so pack accordingly.These Top Straps are Handy for the Odd JacketThe Ostrich S-2 works brilliantly with Jones Loop BarsPerfect Fit!
Leana Niemand has ridden her bike in more countries than most people will ever visit. She started in South Africa seven years ago and as she says “..once you’re on the road, there’s just no reason to stop” Bike Touring News caught up with her in Boise last week and recorded our conversation to create the podcast which you can listen to by clicking the player icon at the bottom of this post.
We were impressed with Leana’s unassuming and relaxed demeanor and were a little surprised by her uncomplicated approach to touring. Hopefully we asked the questions other tourists and would be tourists might have about traveling in other countries and about what it’s like to travel alone. This episode is about 40 minutes long. By the time you read this I hope to have this and other podcasts in the iTunes directory so it will be easier to listen to on other devices. The iTunes podcast channel will be called “Bike Touring News Podcast”.
Snakepit Hot Springs, Idaho. Photo by Casey Greene
Adventure Cycling Association has recently released their Idaho Hot Springs Maps. There are two maps; the Main Route which describes a 517 mile loop beginning and ending in Idaho City and the Single Track Options map which outlines about 227 miles of optional loops off the main route. The main route is divided into a sort of figure eight with the inclusion of the Lowman Cutoff. There is a spur into Boise for those who want to start and/or finish in Boise. Like all Adventure Cycling maps, these are well researched and very detailed with easy to follow cue sheets and descriptions of conditions to be expected. As of this writing we only have one complete set of the maps available in the Bike Touring News store but will be getting more- these have been popular!
Adventure Cycling Association also pioneered the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route which is popular on the bikepacking circuit, and from all the response we’ve seen, the Idaho Hot Springs route is going to be as popular or more so. We’ll try to get some reports from people we know who have done the hot springs route or portions of it. If you have experience with any portion of the route please share it in the comments and/or send us a link if you have an online journal you would like to share.
Today a customer brought his bike in and purchased a rack which the Bike Hermit installed- without charging for his time. On Saturday last, he installed a rack and new grips and frame bags on a customer’s bike. The bike and all the parts had belonged to Bike Touring News just hours before. Is that exceptional- or not even average- customer service, the Bike Hermit wonders. While visiting in Danville, CA a few years ago the Bike Hermit happened to be in a bike shop when a customer was consummating his purchase for what appeared to be a not inexpensive road bike. Part of his purchase was new road bike shoes. When he was asked by the customer how the cleats on his new shoes should be installed, the cashier person didn’t even budge from his stool as he told the customer basically to figure it out. That appears to be piss poor customer service.
