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Idaho Our Trips Planning Resources Surly Bikes Touring Bike Tires

Testing the Pack Rat and Road Plus Tires on an April Fool’s Errand

Back in December 2017, Surly announced the release of a new front-loading light touring bike – the Pack Rat.  I was excited about the possibilities from the moment I learned of this bike’s existence and Bike Touring News was one of the first shops to stock them.  In the intervening 4 months, Surly has released no fewer than three more new models – the “Allroad” Midnight Special, a redesign of the Pugsley expedition fatbike and the entry-level dirt touring Bridge Club.

What with all this newness in such a short period, I was a little afraid that the humble Pack Rat might be forgotten.  I had already had favorable impressions from brief rides around town, so I set out to test this bike’s capabilities on a weekend ride.  I wanted to know if the Pack Rat was capable of loaded touring over the mix of terrain we commonly encounter here in Idaho and if this was a platform I could recommend for two-wheeled exploration past the end of the pavement.

In order for this road test to be meaningful, I’m going to need you to hang with me in the Land of Make-Believe for just a little while.  Got your Imagination Cap on?  Good.

I’m going to make a statement that should be treated as fact for the duration of this post.  Ready?

The bike pictured below is a Pack Rat.  Got it?

My old war horse of a touring bike – affectionately known as the Rando-Gnar – is nearly identical to the Pack Rat in every way that matters.  Both bikes are designed around 650b wheels with clearance for 47mm “Road Plus” tires.  Both feature geometry optimized for a front load.  Steel frames, drop bars, cantilever brakes, plenty of braze-ons for racks and cages.  Heck, they’re even (almost) the same color.  Nearly every component on the Rando-Gnar would move right over onto a Pack Rat frame.

In order to transform a stock Pack Rat into the bike you see above, all you need to do is mount a set of WTB Byway tires, drop the gearing down a bit and attach whatever racks and bags you deem necessary.  Boom, pow!  You’re ready to pack your gear and hit the road.

For this exploration of the Pack Rat’s touring capabilities, I mapped out a route that would cover around 160 miles of paved and dirt roads that would vary widely in condition.  I knew of one stretch of unmaintained road that would likely be in very poor condition.  The roads that climbed into the foothills of the Boise and Payette National Forests were more of an unknown quantity as I had not ridden them before.  I had some idea of what to expect and had been assured by a Forest Service Ranger that the roads were free of snow – though I had my doubts.  Most of the remainder consisted of varying qualities of pavement and maintained dirt roads.

I set out from Boise on smooth pavement and re-adjusted to the ride of a loaded bike.  My haphazard packing strategy resulted in a heavier bike than I would have liked but I felt confident that I was well prepared for the unpredictable springtime weather and road conditions.  Rolling tubeless at 42psi, the Byways cruised down the pavement nearly as fast as a good racing tire.  I felt the weight of my load when the road turned uphill but the ride was speedy and efficient overall.

When the road turned to dirt in the rolling foothills north of Eagle, the Pack Rat pressed ahead with aplomb.  Traction was adequate for out-of-the-saddle riding over some of the steeper pitches, though I had to be conscious of my weight distribution to prevent the rear tire from slipping on looser ground.

From the saddle at the top of Sand Hollow Road, our route descended the unmaintained Johnson Creek Road to the Payette River.  This road bears deep, rutted scars from heavy truck use in wet conditions and is very eroded in spots.  We rolled in, enjoying the views while keeping to the high ground between the ruts.

The ruts were nearly three feet deep in spots but the clay was hard and firmly packed, making for predictable traction even at off-camber angles.

One section of the road has been completely taken over by the creek and presents about a quarter-mile of bumpy riding over loose, slippery river rocks.  I rode cautiously but never felt in danger of bottoming out my tires.

Johnson Creek Road drops into Shalerock Road, a wide and well-maintained dirt road that descends into the Montour Valley.  We basked in the dusky light on the descent to the Montour Campground for the first night’s camp.

After a hearty breakfast at the Triangle Cafe we struck out to the north the next morning, gradually gaining elevation on the paved Sweet/Ola highway.  The snowy mountaintops in the distance made me wonder about the elevation of the snow line.

The road turns to dirt a couple of miles past the little town of Ola.  Conditions were excellent – nicely packed clay with a scattering of loose pea to marble-sized gravel.  The Pack Rat carried speed well and cornered confidently.

I was forced to adapt my pedaling rhythm to the lumpy terrain and the Pack Rat responded well – forging forward to crest each roller as I rose out of the saddle.

The Byway tires provided a sufficiently large contact patch and plenty of cushioning to keep the bike composed on the quick descents.  Momentum is everything when pedaling a loaded bike, so it was nice to have the confidence to let the bike run on the short downhills and carry good speed into the next climb.

The road continued to wind its way north, following Squaw Creek toward its headwaters in the Payette National Forest.  We were getting close to 4,000 feet above sea level and entering the pine forest, so we began to encounter wet conditions and sections of slushy snow on the road.

The 47mm tires sank somewhat into the softened road surface, slowing their roll and forcing me to work harder for the same speed.  However, they certainly provided more traction and flotation than narrower tires would have.

The road began to climb more steeply and the snowy stretches became longer until they became practically uninterrupted.

While the snow was not very deep, the Byway’s diamond tread didn’t provide enough bite for steering or pedaling through the slippery slush.  Likewise, the 47mm width was not sufficient to say on top of the crust layer.  I could ride brief stretches when the road leveled out but climbing was not possible.

When I was able to ride, I was constantly attempting to correct my line and keep the bike from sliding out from under me.  A mountain bike with 2-3″ tires would have handled these conditions much better than the Pack Rat but would have also been sluggish on the pavement and smooth dirt roads.

We pressed on despite the snow-covered road.  Traction was sufficient for walking and I didn’t think the pass was all that distant.  In hindsight, I probably should have paid attention to the omens and turned back.

The snow continued to get deeper until it dragged at the bottom of my panniers.  The north-facing section of road just over the summit held drifts at least 3 feet deep.  I’m sure this road will be spectacular in a couple of months when all the snow is gone!  I don’t know how long it took to cover the 8 or 9 snowy miles but the time would definitely be measured in hours.

Clearly, these conditions were well outside the Pack Rat’s intended use.  Even a fatbike with 5″ tires would have been useless in snow that deep and wet.  I could have certainly saved myself some pain and suffering by turning back but I had made good time earlier in the day and knew I had sufficient daylight to get through.   I pushed, dragged, slipped and postholed over and down the pass, hoping that my planned campsite wouldn’t be under snow.

The campground still held some snow but there was plenty of dry ground.  I breathed a sigh of relief to have arrived and then set about drying my shoes and feet, eating food and doing my best to recover for tomorrow’s 90+ mile burn back to Boise.

I slept deeply and woke feeling surprisingly fresh after the previous day’s exertions.  I made breakfast, pulled on my frozen shoes and hit the road just as the sun began to peek over the eastern ridge.  The forest service road had yet to shake off the night’s chill.  Yesterday’s soft, wet mud and slippery slush had hardened into frozen dirt and roughly textured ice.  The Pack Rat excelled in these conditions, though I rode the icy sections cautiously and did walk a couple of slicker stretches.

Before long, the road reemerged from the trees and dried completely.  Conditions on the southbound leg started off similar to the northbound side. The cloud-filtered sun warmed the air and I enjoyed the (mostly) downhill grades and undulating terrain.  The Pack Rat hummed along, carrying speed through the troughs and over the top of the endless rollers.

When we hit the Washington County line road conditions changed drastically.  The road had recently been graded and was evenly surfaced with 1-2″ size gravel.  I’d estimate the gravel had been laid no more than a week prior.  There were decent tracks laid down by auto traffic through most stretches but the rock lay in piles several inches deep in some spots.  Line choice was key, but the Pack Rat handled these challenging conditions admirably.  I’ve often felt that slimmer tires perform well in these kinds of conditions as they are narrow enough to push the loose rocks aside and grip on the hardpack beneath where a wider tire would float and roll on the top layer.

After turning off the recently-graded stretch of road conditions improved.  There were some seriously steep climbs on this leg of the ride that I would have wished away but the Pack Rat never held me back.  My legs had begun to tire and struggled to supply the necessary power.

Approaching the town of Emmett, it began to look like the highway would be a better option than returning via yet more nasty rollers in the Eagle foothills.  My body was tired and shadows were getting long.  We spun our way down the paved highway shoulder into the valley, turned to the east and finished the final few miles back to Boise.  My pedal strokes were weak and I was happy to be on a bike that rolled efficiently and didn’t ask for much leg strength to maintain forward progress on the asphalt and chipseal.

Overall, I came away from this ride even more excited for the Pack Rat’s potential.  It may not be your go-anywhere touring bike.  There are plenty of roads, tracks and trails over seriously rugged terrain in Idaho where a little more bike (Ogre, Troll, ECR, Bridge Club, etc.) would be a better fit.  It also won’t carry a transcontinental load as well as the Long Haul or Disc Trucker.  However, if you want a bike to travel a mix of dirt and pavement with a light-to-medium load on the weekend, pull double-duty on the weekday commute and have a good time doing it, the Pack Rat is worth your attention.  If nothing else, it’ll get you out of town and into the fun stuff in a hurry!

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Bike Touring Equipment Handlebar Bag Other Touring Bike Pedals Touring Bike Tires

New Partnerships, New Products!

While the Bike Hermit and Sky King are gallavanting around Mexico drinking beer and camping under the stars, there has been a lot going on around Bike Touring News HQ!   We’re constantly on the lookout for components and accessories to enhance your experience, help you ride more and have more fun doing it.  To that end, we’ve brought in some new products that you’re going to want to check out.

Saddles, Tires, Rims from WTB

We’re super excited to announce our partnership with Wilderness Trail Bikes!  WTB has been at the cutting edge of mountain bike equipment since 1982 and that depth of experience shows through in their products.  Most recently, they’ve done a great job creating components that are ideal for bikepacking and dirt touring.  Bike Touring News will be stocking a hand-picked range of their tires, saddles, rims and other gear for adventures that take you to the end of the pavement and beyond.

“What?  Bike Touring News is selling plastic saddles?”  I know, this is kind of a big deal as we have always been known for our devotion to leather saddles.  We’ll continue to stock top-quality leather saddles from Gilles Berthoud, Rivet, Brooks and others but there are certain applications where a high-quality plastic saddle just makes sense. WTB’s saddle designs have been refined over many years to provide a comfortable, supportive perch for all-day comfort on any bike.  Most of their saddles are also available in a range of widths, allowing you to choose a shape and level of padding that suits your riding style and a width that fits your anatomy.

We’re particularly excited about the WTB Koda – a saddle WTB describes as being “female focused, rather than women’s specific” and designed with input from a multitude of female riders including Idaho resident and legendary endurance rider, Rebecca Rusch.  Check out the video on the product page for Rebecca’s take on the saddle.  In addition to the Koda, we’re stocking the Volt, Rocket and Silverado.  We also have the complete Test Ride Kit, making it even easier to try a saddle before you buy.  Like all the saddles we sell, we back these with our 90-day Saddle Comfort Guarantee.

WTB’s focus on bikepacking, dirt touring and other more adventurous riding is especially evident in their tire lineup.  They have fully embraced the full 3-inch “plus-size” tire platform and offer a handful of tread and casing options for any plus bike, such as Surly’s Karate Monkey, Krampus or ECR.  The Trail Boss and Ranger are both solid, do-it-all tires for a broad range of conditions.  I (Ryan) rode a set of Trail Boss 27.5 x 3.0 tires on the Colorado Trail Race this past summer, in addition to all the preparatory rides before and plenty of miles since.  They’re showing some tread wear but have been completely trouble free.  Excellent tubeless setup and no flats, just smiles for miles!

In addition, WTB offers a range of highly versatile, genre-bending tires for your cyclocross, gravel or dirt touring bike.  In widths up to 45mm for 700c and 47mm in 650b, these casings will provide a smooth, comfortable ride and plenty of traction.  For example, the 700×45 Riddler is a perfect fit for your Cross-Check, Straggler or Trucker and will show you what those bikes are capable of in the dirt without sacrificing pace on the pavement.  Many of these tires are also available with a classic tan sidewall, as shown on the 650×47 Byway below.

New Chainrings, Cold-Weather Clothing and Beverage Accessories from Surly

Ready to ditch the front derailleur on your ECR, Ice Cream Truck or any other bike with a Surly Offset Double crankset?  Here ya go, sweet cheeks!  The 28t chainring bolts on the inner chainring position and features SRAM’s X-Sync narrow-wide tooth profiles for rock-solid chain retention.  This thing is machined from durable and oh-so-shiny stainless steel for long life and corrosion resistance.  The matching alloy chainring guard fits the four spider arms (skips the threaded hole in back of the crank arm) on your crankset.  It protects your chain and chainring from trauma and gives those lonely spider arms a purpose in life.

Surly has been quietly expanding their range of clothing recently.  Merino wool is the material of choice for much of the lineup, including the new wool beanies and neck gaiters.  The beanies are soft, snug and warm – perfect dome coverings on or off the bike – and come in basic black or a purple/gray stripe.  Get yours unadorned with only a small Surly label or with the “Omniterra” or “Split-Season” embroidered patch for extra style.

The neck gaiter is a multifunctional cold-weather essential and a perfect lightweight, packable layer to help fight the chill.  Surly’s are double-layered with finer, softer merino on the inside and thicker, coarser material on the outside to balance comfort, breathability and windproofing.  They’re quite nice, actually.  Choose black with a black/grey striped inside or the earthy yellow/brown combo.  Either one will make you warmer and more attractive than you were before.

Surly’s wool blend socks are a perennial favorite.  They’re made in the USA by DeFeet with a proprietary wool blend for warmth, stink resistance and durability with just the right amount of stretch.  We have a couple of new patterns in addition to the old standbys.  Stars, Stripes, Surly.  Grab a pair for you and a pair for someone you like.

For the traveling imbiber of beverages, we offer Surly’s Silicone Pint Glasses.  We still call it a “glass” even though it is made of food grade silicone. They’re virtually indestructible, thick enough to provide some insulation for cold or hot liquids and dishwasher safe.  Ride your bike and transport yourself.  If you can’t be bothered to pour your beverage in a glass, pick up a handy Insulating Sheath.  They’re a perfect fit for tall cans but work with short cans or bottles also.  They’re also quite useful as packing aids, providing lightweight, stretchy, rattle-free padding for anything you stuff inside.  Use them for your tools and spares, camera lenses, camp stove, pieces of fruit or even cans of beer!

Ostrich F-516 Handlebar Bag

This fine handlebar bag incorporates a feature we’ve wanted to see from Ostrich for some time: a rider facing lid opening!  This simple difference makes accessing the bag’s contents while on the bike or in motion much easier and safer.  The lid flap is secured by velcro tape for easy, one-handed opening and closing.  The clear, integrated map case is also secured by a small velcro flap to prevent contents from escaping.  There is a flat front pocket with a velcro flap closure that is perfect for phone, wallet, compact camera or other flattish items.  There is also a zippered pocket in the flap for small items like keys.  Overall, this is a clean, minimal handlebar bag perfect for long day rides on its own or for easy-access items on your fully-loaded touring rig.

Chromag Pedals

Flat pedals are a natural choice for bike travel over any terrain and the benefits are numerous.  I could fill an entire blog post extolling their virtues (come to think of it, maybe I will…) but let’s focus on these particular pedals.  Chromag’s Scarab and Contact pedals provide the best combination of comfort, tuneable traction, durability and serviceability we’ve found.  Both models have thin, wide, concave platforms with adjustable-height pins, multiple pin placement options and durable, ultra-smooth bearings.  The Scarab offers a few more pin placement options, more finely machined contours and a finely polished finish to justify the extra cost.  Either one is available in a variety of colors to complement any bike.

Wow, that’s a ton of cool stuff!  Get some for yourself, or someone else, or you and someone else!  What other products should Bike Touring News carry?  Sound off in the comments below and let us know what we’re missing!

Categories
Bike Touring Equipment Bikepacking The Touring Bicycle Wheel Touring Bicycles Touring Bike Components

The Best Bikepacking Bike Pt. III: Wheels

The stakes are high when traveling far into the backcountry by bicycle.  The potential success or failure of your trip is (literally) riding on your wheels.  A mechanical malfunction at the wrong time can leave you in a very serious situation.  Like teeth, taxes or electricity, your bicycle wheels are easy to ignore when they aren’t causing problems, but can leave you in a world of pain and trouble when things go bad.  Fortunately, most of these kinds of problems can be prevented by choosing appropriate equipment and ensuring it is well-maintained before heading out for a trip.  This is especially true when talking about wheels.

In this post, we’ll discuss what makes a good bikepacking wheel, how to evaluate your current wheels and some points to consider when shopping for new wheels.  Hopefully we’ll be able to help you enjoy your bikepacking adventures with no wheel-related malfunctions!

Reliable wheels are essential when traveling though rough, remote areas.

In general, we think good bikepacking wheels should be durable and reliable above all else.  Gram-saving components will make precious little difference in the ride of your bike when loaded down with 35 pounds of gear and failures are much more than a minor inconvenience when you’re two days from the nearest town.  Fortunately, most truly trail-worthy mountain bike wheels are built to handle pretty rough treatment and won’t suffer greatly under the added stress applied by a loaded bike.  However, many lower-end wheelsets are not built with long-term durability in mind.

Are your wheels ready for bikepacking?  Many stock wheelsets are not.  Bike manufacturers often cut cost on wheels when spec’ing bikes for middle-of-the-curve riders.  Even many high-end bikes are shipped with inferior wheels that don’t hold up to hard riding.  However, it isn’t always easy to tell a high-quality wheel from a cheap look-alike.  In addition, even top-flight wheels can be a liability if they’re nearing the end of their useful life.

There are a few ways to evaluate your wheels for quality and condition, so let’s get into those:

Consider their Service Record

Assuming you’ve put some hard miles on your wheels, perhaps the simplest measure of quality is their service record on the trail.  So, how have your wheels performed so far?  Have they needed regular re-truing?  Have you broken any spokes?  Do the hubs make any funny noises or need repeated bearing adjustments?  If so, you’d be wise to consider repairing or upgrading your wheels before taking off into the woods.  If they’ve taken some abuse with no ill-effects you’re likely to be in good shape.  If you’re unsure about any of these points, a trusted mechanic can help assess your wheels.

However, just because you haven’t had issues yet doesn’t mean they won’t crop up in the future.  The key here is preventative maintenance.  We’ll talk more about that in a bit.  For now, let’s take a closer look at your wheels and see if we can evaluate them for quality and condition.

Check Those Spokes 

A spoke is a spoke is a spoke, right?  How big of a difference do spokes really make?  Well, imagine if the Golden Gate Bridge was built with suspension cables made from cheap steel to cut cost.  Bicycle wheels and suspension bridges have a lot in common.  Spokes made from poor-quality steel will have a much shorter lifespan and will be prone to breakage.  Quality brands like DT Swiss, Wheelsmith and Sapim mark their spokes, either on the head (DT, Wheelsmith) or just below the j-bend (Sapim).  Cheap spokes will have no mark at all or one of a handful of markings such as a star or uppercase “S” or “N”.  If you’re curious, you can investigate the mark on your spokes using this extra-nerdy Spoke Head Identification website.

Quality spokes from DT Swiss. Their butts are visible if you look closely.

A butted spoke is also a definite indicator of quality.  Butted spokes are tapered in the center and thicker at the ends.  Sometimes the butts will be clearly visible.  If not, you can feel for the taper by grasping the spoke near the nipple with your thumb and forefinger.  Slide your fingers up the spoke and you’ll feel the diameter decrease if your spoke is butted.  A butted spoke distributes stress along that slender center section rather than focusing it at the j-bend or threads, improving durability.  As a happy side effect, they are also lighter.

Regardless of quality, any bent or gouged spokes can cause problems or break prematurely.  Bends typically happen when an object lodges in the wheel as it turns or through impact.  Gouging most often occurs on the drive-side spokes due to the chain shifting over the largest cassette cog.  Cassette removal may be necessary for this inspection.

Inspect Your Rims

Rim failure can be sneaky!

As we discussed in a previous post, single-wall rims are wholly inadequate for bikepacking.  Fortunately, even entry-level mountain bikes typically feature a double-wall rim.  Much like spokes, the quality of a rim can be difficult to assess.  Rim makers such as DT Swiss and Stan’s are at the top of the original equipment game.  WTB and AlexRims are common in the middle of the range.  Fortunately, even many inexpensive rims can hold up to hard riding if kept true and properly tensioned.

Of course, even the best rims will suffer the ill effects of high mileage, hard riding or abuse.  If your rims have any major dents or bends you’d be wise to replace them before a big trip.  Also, check the nipple seat for cracks.  This is a common failure mode on quality wheels that have reached the end of their life.  On a bike with rim brakes, you should also inspect the brake track for excess wear.

Evaluate Your Hubs

Formula hubs are typically affordable and reliable. They’re common on quality stock wheels and hand-built options.

Even inexpensive hubs rarely fail but you’d still be wise to evaluate their condition before heading out.  Is there play in the bearings?  Try to push the wheel side-to-side while clamped in your frame or fork.  Do you feel any knocking or play?  Remove the wheel and turn the axle end by hand.  Do the bearings feel rough when you turn the axles?  Does your freehub make odd noises when coasting or fail to engage when you start pedaling?  If your hubs exhibit any of these signs you’d be wise to service them before hitting the trail.

Steer Clear of “Wheel Systems”

Wheel Systems may look fast and flashy but sacrifice reliability and serviceability.

We have seen a nearly infinite number of departures from the traditionally-spoked design as manufacturers continue to reinvent the bicycle wheel.  Some of these variations may offer a performance benefit for competitive cyclists.  Most simply want to stand out from the crowd and appear unique.  Regardless of the result, they accomplish this at the expense of durability and serviceability.  You may be wise to consider a replacement if your wheels have fewer than 28 spokes, nipples that aren’t square or spokes that aren’t made of stainless steel with a j-bend at the hub.  Fortunately, most bike makers are using more traditional wheels on their mountain bikes these days.

Preventative Maintenance is Key! 

Assuming your wheels pass the test above, you’ll want to make sure they’re in the best possible shape before you head out for your trip.  Wheels that are properly trued and tensioned will be much less likely to go out of true or break spokes.  Hubs that are properly adjusted and lubricated will very rarely fail, even under demanding conditions.  If you’re not a top-flight home mechanic you may want to leave this job to a professional.  A skilled mechanic will also be able to update you on the condition of your wheels and help you make preventative repairs to avoid untimely failures.

Need an Upgrade?  Go Hand Built!  

A front wheel comes together in the Bike Touring News workshop.

If your wheels aren’t up to the task or if you’re just looking for an upgrade you’d be well-advised to go hand built.  Unless finished by a skilled wheel builder, machine-built wheels are often undertensioned and tend to need repeated truing even if they are built with quality components.  A hand built wheel allows you the choice of components specific to your application and the ability to customize to your heart’s content.  A good wheel builder will also build to precise, even spoke tension and take steps to remove the stresses that cause wheels to go out of true, resulting in a very durable, reliable wheel built specifically for your riding style and intended use.  They don’t have to be expensive either.  Our prices for hand built wheelsets typically start around $300 and go up from there depending on options.  We build a large number of bikepacking wheels here at Bike Touring News and would love to talk with you about your dream hoops!

If you’re considering a new wheelset, think about incorporating a dynamo hub into the build.  The benefits of dynamo lighting and charging are massive, even if you don’t expect to do a great deal of riding after dark.  With a dynamo light you’ll never have to worry about charging or replacing batteries or leaving your light behind.  If you’re traveling off the grid and need to charge electronics, there are a also a variety of USB charging options powered by your dynamo.  That front wheel is already turning over; why not put it to work?  We offer a wide range of hubs, lights and chargers for every budget and application but that is a subject for another post!

Hand built and dynamo equipped! These 27.5+ wheels are ready for anything!

It is difficult to understate the value of solid, reliable wheels for bikepacking.  Good wheels are the best upgrade you can possibly make and are worth their weight in gold.  We hope you’re feeling better equipped to evaluate your current wheelset or consider what you may look for in an upgrade.  As always, feel free to drop us a comment to ask a question or share your experience.  Have you ever had a bike trip hijacked by wheel problems?  What qualities do you look for in a good wheel?

Thanks for reading and keep on pedaling!

Categories
Bike Touring Equipment Bike Touring Tips Bikepacking Touring Bicycles Touring Bike Components

The Best Bikepacking Bike is the One you Already Own: Part I

Author’s Note:  This post was updated on Dec. 29, 2016.  It was originally published on Feb. 20, 2015.

As interest in bikepacking and off-road bicycle travel continues to grow, many bike makers are offering machines that claim to be optimized for the task. We should know, as Surly’s line is full of bikes like the ECR, Ogre, Troll and Karate Monkey that are ideal vehicles for pedal-powered exploration. This level of specialization in bicycles can be a good thing but it also leaves many would-be bikepackers on the sidelines because they think they need a whole new bicycle to participate. While a shiny new bike can certainly make things easier and provide good motivation to get out and ride, you may discover that the best bikepacking bike is the one you already own.

With a few simple modifications or additions, any good-quality mountain bike can carry you and your gear into the backcountry. In this series of blog posts, we’ll guide you through the process and detail a few key points to consider when evaluating, upgrading and modifying your bike into a two-wheeled adventure steed that will take you places you never thought you could go.Especially since many key pieces of equipment  (bags, lights, etc.) won’t come with any new bike, modifying the bike you already own can be a much more cost-effective path of entry.

In this post, we’ll take a look at the key qualities that good bikepacking bikes share and see if your bike fits the bill. A comfortable, durable, mechanically-sound bicycle is critical. The consequences of an ill-timed breakdown or failure can be quite serious when venturing far from home, so these are very important considerations. Assuming you own a mountain bike of some kind, wheel that thing in here and let’s have a look.

Evaluating your Bike for Trail-Worthiness

Before heading into the backcountry or sinking lots of money into expensive upgrades, you would be well advised to be sure your bike is up for the task. There is a certain standard of trail-worthiness that not all mountain bikes meet. This is mainly a question of reliability. Off-road riding is hard on equipment and many inexpensive, “entry-level” mountain bikes are built with more casual riding in mind.

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Two trail-worthy mountain bikes, ripe for a bikepacking conversion. Photo by the author.

So, how do you know if your bike is trail worthy? If you purchased your bike at a bike shop and are already riding it regularly on singletrack with few mechanical issues you’re probably in good shape. If you bought your bike somewhere other than a specialty bicycle retailer your chances aren’t so hot. Bikes sold in many sporting goods and department stores are cheap for a reason and don’t typically hold up well when ridden often, especially off-road.

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Department store mountain bikes are not a good option.

However, even many top-quality mountain bikes don’t make great bikepacking bikes. So, let’s dig into some of the nuances that set a potential bikepacking rig apart from the rest. Your bike doesn’t have to meet all of these criteria to work well but you’ll be more likely to enjoy the experience if you have most of these boxes checked.

What Makes a Good Bikepacking Bike?

Comfortable Riding Position

HowardandAlanIHSMTB
Two riders pedaling comfortably on the Idaho Hot Springs MTB Route. Photo by the author.

This is perhaps the most important consideration that we’ll discuss but also the most potentially challenging to get right. When you’re on the bike for hours at a time for days in a row, any potential source of discomfort can lead to frustrating pain or a debilitating injury. Other than employing the help of a skilled bicycle fit professional, the only way to know if you’ll encounter comfort issues is to put in the hours riding your bike. If you’re preparing for bikepacking you’ll want to do plenty of preparatory rides anyway, so listen carefully to your body for signs of problems as you ramp up the miles. A comfortable saddle and handlebar in the proper position are key elements in this equation. We’ll get deeper into fit issues in future posts. Assuming that you have a properly sized frame that you can ride comfortably, let’s take a look at some of the nuts and bolts of your bike.

Front Suspension or None at All

While full-suspension mountain bikes are becoming more common across all categories, they are often less than ideal for bikepacking on anything other than the roughest and most technical of routes. Suspension pivots and shock mounts take up valuable space in the front triangle, making frame bags difficult if not impossible to mount. All those moving parts also require regular maintenance and are often impossible to service in the field. You’d rather not be a hundred miles from the nearest bike shop when your rear shock blows a seal and stops holding air.

A suspension fork takes the edge off the rugged singletrack on the Idaho Hot Springs Mountain Bike Route.
A suspension fork takes the edge off the rugged singletrack on the Idaho Hot Springs Mountain Bike Route. Photo by the author.

A suspension fork can be valuable if your route includes a good deal of rough terrain but can be overkill for routes consisting mainly of dirt roads or smoother trails. Much like rear suspension, a suspension fork adds weight and complexity, requires regular maintenance and can be a major problem if it fails. While rigid mountain bikes have become a relative rarity the simplicity they offer is appealing. If your bike is already equipped with a rigid fork you may be in luck!

The choice to ride front and/or rear suspension will be dictated by your bike, route, personal preference and budget. If your bike does have suspension, be sure it is in top condition before heading out on a long trip.

Big Wheels, Wide Tires

There are many good reasons that 29ers have taken over the mountain bike market in recent years. The bigger footprint, increased air volume and shallower angle of attack offered by wide 29″ tires deliver excellent traction and improve the bike’s ability to roll easily over larger obstacles. These attributes are especially helpful when the bike is loaded down, less maneuverable and harder to unweight over bumps. However, don’t despair if your bike has 26″ wheels or is one of the newer crop sporting 650b/27.5″ hoops. Wheel size won’t make or break your experience out on the trail but larger wheels certainly offer appealing comfort and performance benefits.

Regardless of wheel size, you can do yourself a big favor by using the widest, highest volume tires your frame can safely accommodate. Wide tires will provide a smoother ride, cushion your bike, load and body from bumps and provide improved traction. We’ll talk more about tires in a future post, so stay tuned for that.

Quality Components

For better or worse, the price of an “entry level” mountain bike is incredibly low these days. This is certainly a good thing for many riders as the cost of getting into cycling is lower than perhaps ever before. However, those “entry level” bikes reach their low price points by cutting corners somewhere. One common place for this cost-trimming is in the bike’s wheels.

Bicycle wheels endure tremendous forces, especially when carrying heavy loads over rough terrain. Low-quality wheels that break spokes, bend axles, dent easily and won’t stay true are a serious liability. You’ll want to be certain that your wheels are built on sturdy, double-wall rims with quality hubs and spokes to avoid problems.  As shown in the cross-section diagrams below, double-wall rims feature a box section design that adds significant strength over the less-expensive single-wall design.

Blunt_35_No_Title_450_449
Double-wall rims – like Velocity’s Blunt 35 – provide much stronger wheels.
(Diagram from Velocity USA)
twin hollow
Single-wall rims are not typically strong and durable enough for trail riding or bikepacking.
(Diagram from Velocity USA)

On the subject of hubs, most newer bikes are equipped with a “freehub” drive system rather than the older “freewheel” style.  Bent or broken axles were common with “freewheel” rear hubs on mountain bikes because of the long section of axle protruding past the drive-side bearing.  If you have a rear wheel using a threaded-on freewheel you’d be wise to consider an upgraded wheelset before loading the bike down. We build a significant number of bikepacking-worthy wheelsets here at Bike Touring News, so we’ll talk more about wheels in an upcoming post.

freewheel-vs-k7
Hub comparison from the late, great Sheldon Brown. sheldonbrown.com

Other than wheels, you don’t really have too much to worry about. Even inexpensive brakes, shifters and drivetrain parts are surprisingly reliable and rarely fail when properly maintained. Higher-end parts will be lighter, more precise, offer performance benefits and are sometimes more durable but are not required. However, it is vital that all of your components are well maintained, not excessively worn and in good working order. It is wise to check and replace (if needed) your chain, cables/hydraulic fluid, brake pads, etc before heading for the hills to avoid problems on the trail.  We have a series of blog posts on roadside repair and maintenance, so brush up there if you need a primer.  Many trip-ending mechanicals are a result of poor maintenance and should be easily avoidable.

Metal Frame

Carbon fiber is everywhere in the bicycle industry. Carbon frames and components are showing up at surprisingly low price points and have (mostly) shaken off their reputation for fragility and premature failure. Modern carbon bikes and parts from reputable manufacturers are of very high quality and have proven reliable in demanding conditions. Many also offer extra protection in the form of tough, durable finishes, rock guards and the like. However, you’d still be wise to take extra care when bikepacking with a carbon frame. The combination of additional weight, frame bag straps, accumulated dirt, abrasion and vibration – in addition to normal hazards such as sharp rocks, severe crashes, etc – can cause serious damage to frame tubes of any kind but the problem can develop faster and have more severe consequences with carbon tubes. A good carbon bike can be a potent off-road weapon – especially for those looking to travel fast and light – but metal bikes will be more worry-free and probably longer-lived.

P1160822
Four riders – all on metal frames – head into the Owyhee Desert. Photo by the author.

On the other hand, steel or aluminum bikes may suffer damage to their finish from the conditions presented by bikepacking but will rarely sustain serious damage to the tubes themselves. Regular cleaning and inspection is still important but is not as serious a concern as with carbon tubes. Though expensive, titanium may be an ideal material for bikepacking bikes due to its exceptional hardness and resistance to scratching or abrasion.

Summary

So, is your bike up for the challenge? You may already have your new bikepacking bike hanging in your garage, waiting to hit the trail! If your ride doesn’t cut the mustard, Bike Touring News offers a range of models from Surly that will do the job admirably without breaking the bank, like the ECR, Troll, Ogre or Long Haul Trucker.  There comes a point where a new bike becomes a simpler, more cost-effective option.  Feel free to give us a call, shoot us an email or stop by the shop if you want to talk about the pros and cons of your current bike!

Throughout this series of posts, we’ll dig deeper into some of the considerations outlined above and a few more in order to help you build the best possible bikepacking setup for your application and budget.  In the next post we’ll explore various methods of carrying the supplies for your ride, so stay tuned for that!  Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @BikeTouringNews for the most up-to-date news and information.

What questions do you have about setting up a bike you already own for bikepacking?  Sound off in the comments, give us a call or email and I’ll do my best to cover those topics of interest in a future post.  Hey, thanks for reading!

Categories
Bottom Brackets and Crank Sets Drivetrain

From Three by Nine to Two by Ten on a Touring Bicycle

A Tale of Chain Suck

bicycle drivetrain
The new drivetrain

By replacing my chain and the middle ring on my triple Sugino touring crankset I thought my problems would be solved. The chain would now drop smoothly from the middle ring to the small ring without hanging up on the bottom of the middle ring, getting dragged around and over the top and getting jammed or “sucked” into the front derailleur. For the technical minded, this article about chain suck is informative. Basically, worn chain rings and/or a worn, dirty chain will contribute to chain suck. But, even with the new chain and middle ring the chain still was reluctant to disengage from the bottom of the middle ring when I wanted to shift to the smaller ring.

triple touring crankset
The old, triple Sugino crankset. 46-36-26

I have never been entirely happy with this crankset for a couple of other reasons:
1.) the arms are 175 millimeters long when I would have preferred 172.5
2.) the Q-Factor has always felt too wide to me.
3.) there are several combinations of chainring/rear cog that are either unusable or redundant.

The mountain biking world has been addressing the inefficiencies of triple cranksets and now so-called 2x and 1x systems using either two chainrings or just one with 10 or 11 speed, wide-range rear cassettes proliferate. When I saw the new “wide compact road double” crankset from Interloc Racing Design (IRD) I decided to take off the curmudgeon hat and put on the practical hat.

IRD crankset
The IRD wide compact double touring crankset. 46-30 172.5mm arms
IRD double
The new double crankset. 46-30

I had to consider a number of things in making the swap;
-First, I obviously want a decent range of gears suitable for a loaded touring bike. I used the Sheldon Gear Calculator as I describe in this blog post and see that a 10 speed cassette with a small cog of 11 teeth and a big cog with 34 teeth will give me the same high end as I have with the triple and a slightly easier low gear, which is a bit of a bonus, and will give me a few more usable gears (less cross-chaining) and fewer redundant gears.

-Second, my front and rear derailleurs need to be able to deal with new rings and cogs and with a ten speed chain. The front triple derailleur, while it does not have the ideal shape for the compact rings moves the chain back and forth quite smoothly. I use a friction downtube shift lever so the 9 speed derailleur works with the narrower 10 speed chain but a 9 speed front derailleur will generally not work with an indexed shifting system made for ten speed. The rear derailleur can handle the chain wrap because there will actually be less chain to tension than with the triple setup. The medium cage Ultegra derailleur has a nominal large cog maximum of 30 teeth though, four teeth smaller than the 34 I am using. When in the big cog I am unable to adjust the derailleur to keep the upper pulley far enough away from the bottom of the cog but if that proves to be a problem, I can get a different derailleur.

rear derailleur pulley
For smooth running, there should be more space between the top of the derailleur pulley and the bottom of the largest cog.

-Third, since I still like an indexed rear shifter I need 10 speed downtube levers. And of course I will need a new, 10 speed cassette and chain.

ten speed cassette
The new rear cassette. 11-34

– My fourth consideration was Q-Factor. IRD recommend a JIS square taper bottom bracket with a 118mm spindle length to achieve the best chainline and, using that suggestion I ended up with an almost perfect chainline. The Q-Factor is now 1 centimeter narrower which I’m hoping will be more comfortable and efficient.

crank arms
Straight arms, Low Q-Factor

chainline
The chainline in the small ring and just left of center on the cog is pretty straight

I feel like simpler is almost always better and I like the simple, clean look of this setup. The IRD crankset has a jewellry-like finish and a muscular appearance, which might be even a little more traditional looking than the Sugino. The real test of the success of the conversion will be taking longer rides and going touring with it.

Categories
Hermit's Workshop The Touring Bicycle Wheel

When To Replace a Worn Wheel Rim

It’s early morning in Moab, Utah when the still air is violated by the sound of a small explosion and the clang of scraping metal. My friend’s rear wheel has come apart and is a twisted jumble of aluminum rim, steel spokes and rubber. For the first time, I realize that soft rubber brake pads can wear through metal. Sand and other grit in a slurry with oil and who knows what other chemicals get embedded in the pads and act like a grinding disc to wear away at the relatively soft aluminum braking surface of the rim. Once the braking surface becomes too thin to provide structure to the rim, the forces of the tire bead can blow it apart. Here is a visual example of what I am talking about.

The braking surface on a new rim is flat, if not a little concave.
The braking surface on a new rim is flat, if not a little concave.

A worn rim braking surface.
A worn rim braking surface.

The concavity of the worn rim is visually apparent, but it can also be felt by the fingertips. Lots of times this is just a judgment call. Some rim makers machine a groove in the circumference of the rim’s braking surface and others create three or four small dots or indented holes at intervals around the rim. Once these indicators are no longer visible it is time to replace the rim.

Check your rim brake bicycle’s rims. If the braking surface feels like it has a little concavity to it, replace it before you go on the next long tour.

Categories
Bikepacking Cockpit Handlebars and Stems

Jones H-Bar® Setup Guide

For ages, they’ve been the standard.  They’re nearly as ubiquitous as racks and panniers on touring bikes around the world but can also be found on road racing steeds, track bikes, cyclocross machines, commuting rigs or even mountain bikes.  I’m talking about drop bars.  Ask just about anyone what a bicycle handlebar looks like and they’ll likely describe the ramhorn bends of a drop bar.  They come on many of our favorite new bikes, like Surly’s Long Haul Trucker, Disc Trucker, Cross-Check and Straggler.  It isn’t tradition alone that keeps these gracefully curved tubes on the front of so many different bikes.  Drop bars offer an effective and comfortable range of hand and body positions that are excellent for a great variety of riding styles and terrain.  There are hundreds of subtle variations in shape available, each with differing reach, drop, width and bend to provide a rider with the perfect fit.  In short, drop bars are awesome.

However, there are situations where a drop bar leaves much to be desired.  Take a look at mountain bikes or off-road motorcycles and you’ll see what I mean.  In order to maneuver his machine through difficult terrain, the off-road rider needs a neutral or slightly rear-biased body position and plenty of leverage.  A wide, flat, slightly backswept handlebar does just that.  What that flat handlebar doesn’t do is provide a multitude of hand and body positions.  For the singletrack rider who is constantly moving and shifting her weight over the bike this is not a big drawback.  Her riding position changes independent of her grip on the handlebars.  For the touring or bikepacking rider who may cover long stretches of flat and smooth terrain in between steep and rough sections, the limited hand positions offered by a flat bar can lead to soreness, stiffness and accelerated fatigue.  This is why we see so many bikepacking bikes with aerobars clamped onto flat bars.  The rider needs alternative hand and body positions to ride comfortably for hours at a time.

So – as in most things – a middle ground must be sought and the unconventional thinker often arrives at the ideal solution.  When it comes to handlebars for off-road touring and a variety of other applications, Jeff Jones’ Loop H-Bar may just be that solution.  A great deal has already been written about the H-Bar’s merits – much of it by Jeff Jones himself – so I won’t waste time adding to the mountain of praise already heaped on these bars.  In many ways, the H-bar neatly splits the difference between a drop bar and a flat bar, retaining the best characteristics of each.  It offers the width and leverage of the flat bar, the forward reach and hand positions of the drop bar and much more room to shift weight rearward.  In addition, the Loop-H bar’s forward extension offers a perfect location for strapping a handlebar roll.  Revelate even offers a special 4-point attachment kit to neatly secure their Sweetroll to the Loop-H bars.

The astute reader may recall that I have been considering a different handlebar for my dirt touring bike ever since my experience on the Smoke ‘n’ Fire 400.  Given the large number of other touring riders who may be pushing the limits of their drop bar setups and looking for alternatives, I thought I’d share some thoughts and experiences from the process and try to provide a setup guide for H-Bars on a touring or bikepacking bike.

Assuming you’ve settled on the H-Bar as the right handlebar for your application, there are a few other components you’ll need to effect the conversion.  Since my bike and most of the touring bikes we sell are spec’ed with drop bars and bar-end shifters, I’ll walk you through that process.  If your bike has integrated shifters or downtube levers, your process and the parts needed will be different.

So, let’s get down to the details.  What do you need to make the conversion from drop bars to H-Bars on your bike?  Every bike is different and there is no one perfect setup.   Many of these questions you’ll have to answer for yourself – especially when it comes to fit.  I do not claim to be a fit expert and have arrived at positions that work for me through a combination of self-education and trial-and-error.  If in doubt, consult a trained bicycle fitting professional in your area before making any dramatic changes to your riding position.

First: Pick Your Handlebars

Jeff Jones offers three different handlebars that provide the same basic positioning but in slightly different shapes and widths. They are the Loop-H, Cut-H and Bend-H.  They are all available in 660 or 710mm widths and a variety of materials.  If you’re planning on using a handlebar roll (especially the Revelate Sweetroll), you’ll be happiest with the Loop-H.  If you won’t be strapping much gear to the bars, don’t need as much forward extension but want the width and backsweep in an elegant shape, get the Bend-H.  Other than aesthetic preference, I don’t think there is much to recommend the Cut-H over the Loop.  Also, there isn’t really much reason to choose the 660mm width as the handlebars are clearly marked for cutting, if desired.  I would encourage anyone other than the smallest riders to try the wide bars first.  You just might like them and you can always trim them later.  For my purposes, I went with a silver, aluminum Loop-H Bar in a 710mm width.

Second: Pick Your Stem

Now things get complicated.  Bicycle fitting is a highly complex topic with very little good research to draw on outside the racing world.  The makeup of a comfortable and efficient riding position is different for everyone, so I’ll do my best to offer helpful guidelines you can use to find your own sweet spot.  Jeff Jones wrote a useful blog post on choosing a stem to pair with your H-Bar but it is geared toward riders moving from flat bars to H-bars.  Since we’re talking about drop bars here, I’ll take you through some of the questions you’ll be faced with.

There are two important variable to consider when choosing your stem: reach and stack.  Reach describes the horizontal position of the bars, or how far out they are.  Stack (or drop) describes the vertical position of the bars, or how far above or below the saddle they sit.  Reach and stack can be measured in a variety of ways but since we’re talking about converting an existing cockpit assumed to be comfortable, I’ll talk about them in more relative terms.

First, let’s talk reach.  Most people find that their favorite hand position on drop bars is on the brake hoods or the “ramps” of the bars just behind the hoods.  Assuming you are reasonably comfortable on your drop bars, I recommend setting up your H-Bars so that the forward extension gives the same reach as the farthest forward position you can reach on the brake hoods.  This will give you roughly the same amount of room to stretch out forward but with much more space to shift your weight back.  In this position I found that the junction of the grip section and crossbar landed right on the ramps, providing an ideal perch to simulate the sweet spot on my drop bars.  It is worth pointing out that the total front-to-back reach of the Loop H-Bar is significantly longer than a typical drop bar.  Compared to roughly 5.5 inches of reach on an average drop bar from the front of the brake hoods to handlebar center, the 710mm Loop H-Bars measure a full 9 inches from the center of the forward extension to the center of the rearmost portion of the grip area.  Most of this additional real estate comes in the widest, rearmost grip position.  Avoid the temptation to set your bars farther forward to favor this grip position as it will render the forward extensions unusable and prevent you from shifting your weight farther back for descents.

P1160232

With the H-Bars positioned in the manner pictured above, I estimated that I would need to shorten my stem by 1cm to secure them in place, so I settled on a 90mm long stem.

Now let’s talk stack, or drop.  For most riders, positioning the H-Bars so they are roughly level with the saddle yields a comfortable, neutral riding position with good weight distribution between handlebar, pedals and saddle.  Depending on your current setup, you’ll likely need a stem with more rise or up-angle to achieve this.  By changing my stem from a -10 degree to a 0 degree, I raised the handlebars by roughly 1.5cm, putting them just a hair lower than my saddle.

If you need to raise the bars more than a couple centimeters this stem extension is available which clamps onto the fork steerer tube in place of the stem. The stem in turn clamps onto the extension affording up to 8cm additional stem height.

fork steerer tube extension
A handy extension for getting the bars up to the desired height.

All of the Jones bars have a 31.8mm clamping surface, so be sure that any stem you purchase will fit the handlebar and your bike’s steerer tube to avoid disappointment.  Thomson’s X4 mountain bike stem is an excellent choice but we offer several less expensive options as well.

Third: Choosing Brake Levers and Shifters

After the complexity of the stem question, the remaining decisions will be fairly straightforward.  When choosing brake levers, you’ll want a flat-bar, MTB-style lever that pulls the proper amount of cable for your brakes.  Cantilevers, centerpull, sidepull and road disc brakes use a short pull.  V-brakes and mountain disc brakes use a long pull.  Also, I highly recommend levers with a good reach-adjustment mechanism for the H-Bars. You will need to replace the brake cables and housing so if the new brake levers don’t include cables and housing you will need to purchase those separately.

If you have bar-end shifters, Paul Components’ Thumbies provide a clean and elegant way to mount your shifters on top the Jones Bars and use them as thumb shifters. The bar end shifters will work in the ends of the Jones bars but, given the width and the sweep of the bars, this might be a little  functionally awkward.

Hope this guide offers some help and direction to those considering a swap to the Jones Bars.

Categories
The Touring Bicycle Wheel Touring Bike Components Touring Bike Tires

Wide Rims

A customer needed a new front wheel for the new Straggler fork on his Cross Check. He wanted a disc brake on front for single track riding and the Straggler fork is very close to the Cross Check fork geometry-wise. I built up the wheel using a Surly Ultra New hub and the DT Swiss E512 rim which at 30mm wide is a full 11mm wider than the DT Swiss R450 rim on the wheel he was replacing.

Two rims side by side
A significant width difference!

Why did I use such a wide rim? For a couple of reasons. The same tire, in this case a 700 x 35 Continental Cyclocross Speed, on a wider rim will have a wider contact patch than when mounted on a narrower rim and this means more traction. The tire will also have a cross section which will be a little more “square” and less balloon like. What this means, in theory, is that the tire will have less tendency to roll sideways when the wheel is angled into a turn and the handling should be more firm and confidence inspiring with no squirming. This idea is visually represented in the following two pictures:

 Wide rims provide optimal grip and allow a thinner carcass combined with increased traction and tracking ability. Photo: syntaceusa.com
Wide rims provide optimal grip and allow a thinner carcass combined with increased traction and tracking ability. Photo: syntaceusa.com
tire on narrow rim
Narrow rims provide little guidance for the tyre. The tyre “folds” and can even jump out of the rim.
Photo: syntaceusa.com

When it was done, we gained about 4mm in width to the inflated tire, a little over 1%. While that doesn’t sound like a significant increase it should stiffen up the sidewalls of this tire and contribute to better handling and cornering. The combination of a little bit of extra width in the tire and a deeper rim profile make the wheel and tire look quite a bit bigger then the original setup on this bike. Neither a Cross Check nor a Straggler now. Monster Crossler?

side by side tires
The tire on the top is on the 19mm rim and the one on the bottom is on a 30mm wide rim.
Categories
Bike Touring Equipment Bikepacking Touring Bike Tires

Summer Love – Maxxis Chronicle 29+

Indeed, Sky King has a new love. I happen to be quite spoiled and spend many happy hours on my ” Excellent Creative Riding” machine also known as the “Extremely Cool Ride” and for those of you who don’t know me, just call it my Surly ECR.

SUrly ECR "Extremely Cool Ride" now with Maxxis 29+
Surly ECR “Extremely Cool Ride” now with Maxxis 29+

We ventured out in August for a S24O to Crutcher Crossing. The road/trail/path is two track, dirt and rock. The first 7 miles pass through a Juniper forest. Juniper’s are invasive species in the Owyhee Mountains and this section is currently being logged. Given that, the road had impressive ruts, especially on hilly corners. We hadn’t traveled far and as I negotiated a rutted corner my tires slipped out and boom, on the ground I go. While I don’t consider myself the most technical descender – especially on a loaded bike – I should have negotiated the corner just fine. Back on the bike, half mile down the road and boom, slipped out again. After a few choice words I take a serious look at my tires – the original Surly Knard 29+3 27tpi. Yep, the side edge tread is pretty much worn to zilch – oops.

I’ve never had a big complaint with the Surly Knard tires. Some of my riding buddies have commented on the lack of a grippy edge but I never mind hopping off and walking some of the steep. The rest of the trip I certainly paid attention and took a less aggressive approach to the rest of the rutted corners.

Did I mention I was spoiled, oh yeah, I did. A few days after the trip the Bike Hermit surprised me with a set of Maxxis Chronicles.Maxxis29+ This is a relatively new 29+3 so I had some trepidation. Ha, silly girl. The tread is perfect for a wide variety of terrain. I have the 120 TPI casing and the tire is lighter than my Surly Knards. The roll on pavement is excellent. On our very technical ride to Pipeline crossing, in the Owyhee desert the tires, hands down, out performed the Knards. The side grip is great. I didn’t have any slips, any spin outs or questionable traction issues. The Excellent Cool Ride bounced and jostled along happily – almost as if the person riding had advance to “pro” status. Look out Bike Hermit!

Technically a road...
Technically a road…

(Logan, over at bikepacking.com has a detailed review of the Maxxis Chronicle)

Categories
Bike Touring Equipment Cockpit Handlebars and Stems Touring Bicycles Touring Bike Components

Dropping Out and Looping In: Converting from Drop Bars to Jones Loop H-Bars

The wintertime (known to some among us as the “off-season”) is a great time to experiment with your bike setup and few components can transform the ride of a bike like handlebars. Unlike many so-called “performance” upgrades that claim to offer weight savings, greater precision or improved efficiency, different handlebars change the way your body relates to the bicycle in a fundamental and important way. The wrong handlebar can make the finest bicycle nearly unrideable. The right handlebar can enhance comfort, control and confidence. The Jones Loop H-Bar does just that. As many of the Surly bikes we sell (in addition to many other touring bikes) come with drop bars and bar-end shifters, I thought I’d share my experience converting my personal bike from drop bars to H-Bars. I’ll get more into the details and technicalities of the process – especially the fit aspect – in a future post, so stay tuned for that.

P1160221

I built my dirt touring bike – the RandoGnar – around drop bars. I had the wide-open and reasonably smooth gravel roads of north-central Oregon in mind when drawing up the plans and laying out the cockpit.  The position is very similar to what I’ve used on my cyclocross bike to provide a good balance of comfort, aerodynamics and pedaling efficiency for long, mixed-terrain rides and ‘cross racing. This setup performed admirably on the Oregon Outback in May, 2014 and I wouldn’t have changed a thing.  However, on rough descents or technical singletracks, the hand and body positions offered by drop bars leave something to be desired. When riding in the drops – the preferred position for descending – my weight is shifted far forward over the front wheel which tends to generate a feeling of “oh-crap-I’m-about-to-get-pitched-over-the-bars”.  This leads to tension throughout the my body, causing fatigue and a diminished ability to ride lightly over rough surfaces.

OB
Open country and smooth gravel on the Oregon Outback

Upon moving to Idaho and sampling some of the unpaved roads and singletracks in the central part of the state, I found myself wishing for a different handlebar. Descending on a loaded bike through rough, rocky, loose terrain can be sketchy on any bike but I’ve had some harrowing moments on rutted, washed out mountain roads and trails down in the hooks of my deep drops.

snf
A section of steep, rocky road near Scott’s Mountain on the Smoke ‘n’ Fire 400

Anyone who has ridden a modern mountain bike can tell you that a short stem and wide, flat handlebars yield enhanced control in challenging terrain.  It is easy to keep the front wheel light and approach steep terrain with confidence.  So for mixed-terrain bikepacking and touring – where we ride long hours on loaded bikes in widely varying conditions – we need a middle ground.  We like the range of hand and body positions offered by drop bars but miss the confidence and control lent by a flat bar with things get rough. The Loop H-Bar treads this fine line better than perhaps any other handlebar available.

Your list of necessary parts will vary, but here are the parts I needed to effect the conversion.

Jones Loop H-Bar, 710mm

– Thomson X.4 Stem, 90mm x 0-deg

Paul Thumbies for Shimano shifters, 22.2 clamp

Shimano BL-R550 canti levers

P1160234
The bits: Jones 710mm Loop-H bars, Thomson X4 90mm 0-degree stem, Paul Thumbies, Shimano canti levers.

I replaced my 100mm, -10 degree stem with a 90mm, 0 degree version to bring the handlebar clamp up closer to level with the saddle height for a nice, balanced riding position. I am now able to rotate my hips back slightly and rest my weight lightly on the saddle with most of my body supported by the pedals. The stance is upright and controlled but with enough forward reach possible to tuck under the wind. On the road, the forward extension offers a very similar perch to riding on the “ramps” of my drop bars. On singletrack, the extra width and rearward extension provides a very strong and confident stance to attack steep terrain with one finger tucked in the crook of the brake levers.  The overall look is a little cruiser-y but the bike feels much more at home in singletrack.

P1160271
Rando-Gnar with Jones Loop-H Bars

These bars are now the widest I have on any bike.  The extra leverage and control is remarkable.

P1160274
Cockpit from above

ODI’s classic Longneck BMX grips pair well with the Jones bars.  The extra length covers more of the handlebar section than a standard mountain bike grip.  I prefer to trim the flanges off for additional shifter clearance.  We also offer the ESI foam grips which are designed for the long grip section of the H-Bars.

Also, I found (in corroboration with Jeff Jones’ guidelines) that the ergonomics of this setup are much improved by adjusting the brake levers’ reach screws in slightly to bring the lever blades closer to the bars.  Those with extra-long fingers may not need to make the adjustment but the levers are easy to reach with the first finger even when at the farthest rearward position on the bars.  The BL-R550 levers deliver a very strong pull to my cantilever brakes and a comfortable lever shape for one or two fingers.

P1160277
De-flanged BMX grips and brake levers with reach adjusted in slightly

The sweep and width of these bars has transformed the Rando-Gnar from a dirt road crusher into a singletrack slayer. I’m able to ride much faster and more confidently than I ever thought possible on a rigid bike.  In addition to the range of hand positions, the 45-degree sweep of the bars offers excellent leverage for lifting either end of the bike over obstacles in the trail.  This is especially helpful when the bike is loaded and requires more effort to maneuver.

P1160281
From the front

Thomson’s X4 stem pairs perfectly with the Jones bars.  Even the alignment marks align with the edges of the clamp jaws.

P1160283
Alignment hashmarks placed perfectly for Thomson clamp

On the first few shakedown rides in the Boise foothills, I had to consciously keep my speed in check any time the trail pointed downhill.  The riding position inspired so much confidence that I quickly outran the available traction from my close-knobbed tires in loose corners.  With my weight shifted over the rear wheel and my hands out wide, I was able to leverage the bike around downhill corners with ease and maintain a comfortable, relaxed posture.  When climbing, I could easily shift my hands forward to keep the front wheel down.

P1160319
At the top of Scott’s Trail in the Boise Foothills

Overall, I’m quite happy with the comfort, control and multiple riding positions the Jones bars offer.  On longer stretches of smoother terrain I find myself missing the aerodynamic position offered by the drop bars, but feel that the off-road confidence and control more than makes up for the slightly decreased efficiency on the pavement.

P1160321
Rando-Gnar with Jones Loop-H bars in the wild

Overall, the Jones H-Bars are an excellent alternative to a drop bar for touring bikes that are regularly ridden in more technical and demanding situations.  I’d recommend them to anyone who wants to blend the confidence and control of a flat bar with the comfort and hand positions of a drop bar.  I’ll be taking a closer look at the setup process in a future post, so feel free to chime in with any questions you’d like to have answered or ideas you’d like to see explored. Thanks for reading!