The guys at Surly did an outstanding job when the came up with the Troll/Ogre concept. So many times bikes are single purpose built. While they can usually be altered to fit various needs, they don't work very well. In comes the Surly Ogre: a Jack of all trades and a master of most.
A few things worthy of note: 1.) It does not take fenders and 29er MTB tires well, you can use a decent volume touring tire and fenders fine. I don't use fenders so I don't care. 2.) If you use a smaller tire there is clearance with the front derailleur, if you use a mountain bike tire it will rub on the front derailleur so you need Monkey Nuts to provide clearance. If you plan on using both, set it up with the Monkey Nuts for chain length....I learned this the hard way by setting it up for road and and then needed a new chain when I put on mountain tires. Aside from that the world is your oyster.
The original idea was that I would use a 45c tire and a 48 tooth chain ring so I could go really fast. This was also done with the intent of riding it on RAGBRAI. With the swap of the tire, I could also hit the trails if I wanted. I was concerned about clearance with the 48 tooth setup, but didn't have any real issues since the trails around here don't have big rocks or stair step type drops. So for the first year I had a more road specific setup with smaller tire and this worked well for me. My concept of commuting bikes has changed. I will post pictures next week.
Surly Ogre road/commuter 2012 Irish Tsunami edition major bits and pieces:
Crank set/BB: Shimano Deore 48/36/26: This has the Hollowtech crank arms and the chain rings are stamped. Not the smoothest shifting but I it is hard to find a mountain bike crank with a 48 tooth chain ring....plus it was cheap. It cranked.
Wheels: XT Hubs and Salsa Delgado Cross. I love these wheels, I have had numerous sets made over the years. Salsa got out of the rim business so I will be sad when these pass. They take a lot of abuse and can be used for MTB XC and cyclocross.
Tires: Specialized Borough XC 700x45c: Low rolling resistance with some knobs on the side for loose stuff.
Shifters: SRAM X.9. Nothing fabulous, I took them off another bike. I feel strongly either way about them.
Drive train: SRAM X.9 9 speed rear mech, SLX triple front mech, SRAM chain with powerlink, SRAM 9 speed cassette. I am not a fan of SRAM MTB parts, the rear mech is weird. It was laying around and served its purpose. As far as I am concerned a front mech is a front mech.
Brakes: I used Avid Speed Levers and Avid Single Digit 7 brakes. These brakes worked well, which is to say that they stopped the bike. No real complaints.
Handlebars: Jeff Jones Loop Bar......All I can say is that I love it. I will be getting one for the Mukluk!
Cargo Solution: Porcelain Rocket Mission Control and Booster Rocket. Great, but I realize I need a little more space for running shoes and boots and uniform.........
A change of attitude: This past winter I started riding a fat bike to work. This changed my commuting mindset a little. I went from a 45c (1.75 inches) at 75 psi to 3.8 inch wide tires at 4-7 psi. Can you say "rolling resistance?" This added about 15 minutes to my ride (due to big tires and snow/ice). This just meant I had to get up a little earlier. I like the cushion of the ride knowing I would sacrifice a little, but I am only going 8 miles, it is not like I am trying to race or knock out 300 miles. So I decided to go to a lower rolling resistance MTB tire and I think I have a good speed/comfort ratio.
Surly Ogre Current State of Affairs:
I decided that since I needed to replace the drive train (I put thousands of miles on it), I would spend a little extra and go to a Shimano XT 3x10 speed. This meant new shifters and crank set, I decided that I would get what I want vs. settling for what is in the parts bin or on sale. I am pleased with the decision even though it cost a little more.
Crankest/BB: Shimano XT 42/32/24: This has machined chain rings and shifts with ease. I was a little concerned about the 42 tooth for commuting, but it has not been an issue and feels light years faster than the Mukluk. By light years I really mean minutes....but who is monitoring?
Wheels: XT Hubs and Salsa Semi 29er rims. Even though these said not for tubeless, I did it anyway. These are considerably wider than the Delgado Cross. I put some Continental Race King 29er tires on. They roll really well, at least compared to the Endomorph/Larry combo on the Panzer.
Shifters: Shimano XT M780 3x10. I love these shifters, I took the little things off that show you what gear you are in. Personally I think they are stupid and get in the way. I love the way these shift. They are snappy and when you push/pull the triggers there is an audible click and a rapid shift.
Drive train: Shimano XT Shadow+ 10 speed rear mech, SLX triple front mech, Shimano 10 speed chain, and Shimano SLX 10 speed cassette. I didn't specifically order the Shadow+ option which has a clutch mechanism to reduce/eliminate chain slap. The shop ordered the wrong one and didn't charge for the upgrade. I may never understand/appreciate the benefits, but I will say that the XT performs so much better than the X.9. The SLX cassette now has allow carrier for the three largest cogs to cut on weight, that is a minor feature for me.
Brakes: I used Avid Speed Levers and BB7 brakes. These brakes are the industry standard for mechanical disk brakes.
Handlebar: Jeff Jones Loop Bar......I love it and won't get rid of it.
Cargo Solution: OMM Rack. I got a new fit kit for my Mukluk Sherpa. It works really well.
I love my Surly Ogre, it is the first bike I have owned where I really feel like I can kick around on it. It is ok outside in the sun and if it gets banged up at the bike rack I will not lose sleep, the Army Green finish is forgiving. It is durable and overbuilt.....just like me!
Showing posts with label bicycle commuting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bicycle commuting. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Riding Out the Storm: A great day to ride a Fat Bike.
Thursday, May 30 showed a reprieve from the severe storms. I am not a fan of missing opportunities to ride and while I rely on the weather forecast so I can make informed decisions, most of the time they let me down. Several days last week we were looking at severe lightning storms and high winds at the tail end of the severe weather path cutting through the mid-west. I chose not to ride those days for a number of reason, only to find they were the most beautiful.
There was a threat of rain on Thursday, but not much more than that. I had my Surly Ogre disassembled so I jumped on the the Salsa Mukluk I affectionately call "the Panzer" and plodded off to work. When I arrived, I checked my phone and somebody was interested in buying a pair of road shoes I had posted for sale. I agreed to meet him at the government bridge at 4:45 p.m. to make the transaction. My wife was going to be in the area so she dropped off the shoes that morning.
It rained a good portion of the afternoon but then it cleared up nicely. I got to the meeting point a little early, the afternoon turned out beautiful and I sat at the end of the island enjoying the warm breeze. Then I noticed some ugly dark clouds moving in fast. It was not long before the beautiful sky had gone dark and the warm breeze became a cold wind blowing the branches of a tree horizontal.
I moved to a small building with a slight overhang and waited for the guy. He was ten minutes late and by the time he arrived it was starting to rain. I put my phone in my dry bag for obvious reasons, pulled out the shoes and the transaction was complete.....except I was riding a fat bike and everyone wants to talk about the fat bike. So I spoke for another few minutes and then started moving to my bike. By this time the rain was horizontal and the wind was gusting 50-60 mph.
He asked if I was really going to ride in this weather. I told him yes, besides, I had the Panzer I can go anywhere with that. Within seconds of leaving the shelter I could feel the rush of cold water running down my back. The lightning was striking and thunder was near simultaneous. I was second guessing my judgment and was uncomfortable on the government bridge, a mass of steel with a mesh surface so you can see Old Man River rushing angrily beneath. I was pedaling the Mukluk with it's 3.8 inch wide tires as fast as I could in a severe crosswind. As I turned into downtown Davenport, I thought it was hailing, only to discover the 50-60 mph gusts were not only stopping me in my tracks but pelting me with rain. I passed a parking garage and thought about stopping.
I was soaked and I knew I would be cold if I stopped. Who knew how long it would last, so I kept on cranking into the wind. Then I turned North and started up a steep hill. As I crested it the rain slowed and the wind stopped. Just as quickly as it started it ended. When I approached Van Deveer Park, I realized the destruction that this storm had.
There were branches and limbs everywhere. As I continued down Main St, I quickly found huge limbs across the road.
As I passed through a maze of limbs and branches it occurred to me, had the guy not been ten minutes late, I probably would have been in this area when limbs were falling. Furthermore, I was grateful that I pulled the Ogre apart which forced me to ride the Panzer.
After I snapped some photos, I noticed House Hold 6 had sent a text "where are you?" I found it odd that it didn't say "do you need a ride?" I brought this up when I got home and she said "I figured you made it through 16 month in Iraq, you would figure something out!"
She is as tough and unforgiving as the weather was!
There was a threat of rain on Thursday, but not much more than that. I had my Surly Ogre disassembled so I jumped on the the Salsa Mukluk I affectionately call "the Panzer" and plodded off to work. When I arrived, I checked my phone and somebody was interested in buying a pair of road shoes I had posted for sale. I agreed to meet him at the government bridge at 4:45 p.m. to make the transaction. My wife was going to be in the area so she dropped off the shoes that morning.
It rained a good portion of the afternoon but then it cleared up nicely. I got to the meeting point a little early, the afternoon turned out beautiful and I sat at the end of the island enjoying the warm breeze. Then I noticed some ugly dark clouds moving in fast. It was not long before the beautiful sky had gone dark and the warm breeze became a cold wind blowing the branches of a tree horizontal.
 |
He asked if I was really going to ride in this weather. I told him yes, besides, I had the Panzer I can go anywhere with that. Within seconds of leaving the shelter I could feel the rush of cold water running down my back. The lightning was striking and thunder was near simultaneous. I was second guessing my judgment and was uncomfortable on the government bridge, a mass of steel with a mesh surface so you can see Old Man River rushing angrily beneath. I was pedaling the Mukluk with it's 3.8 inch wide tires as fast as I could in a severe crosswind. As I turned into downtown Davenport, I thought it was hailing, only to discover the 50-60 mph gusts were not only stopping me in my tracks but pelting me with rain. I passed a parking garage and thought about stopping.
I was soaked and I knew I would be cold if I stopped. Who knew how long it would last, so I kept on cranking into the wind. Then I turned North and started up a steep hill. As I crested it the rain slowed and the wind stopped. Just as quickly as it started it ended. When I approached Van Deveer Park, I realized the destruction that this storm had.
There were branches and limbs everywhere. As I continued down Main St, I quickly found huge limbs across the road.
Passage of Lines!
As I passed through a maze of limbs and branches it occurred to me, had the guy not been ten minutes late, I probably would have been in this area when limbs were falling. Furthermore, I was grateful that I pulled the Ogre apart which forced me to ride the Panzer.
The Panzer was a perfect choice for the commute. I was also glad I had my light weight Porcelain Rocket gear as I carried and rode my the fat bike over downed branches!!
After I snapped some photos, I noticed House Hold 6 had sent a text "where are you?" I found it odd that it didn't say "do you need a ride?" I brought this up when I got home and she said "I figured you made it through 16 month in Iraq, you would figure something out!"
She is as tough and unforgiving as the weather was!
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Old Man Mountain Sherpa Mukluk/Fat Bike Retrofit for the Surly Ogre
This is something that I am really excited about. I was pleased to find out that Old Man Mountain racks made a specific rack for my 2011/12 Salsa Mukluk, aka, The Panzer. I like it when things are purpose built and don't require a lot of manipulation, another word for bending.
As the winter came to a close I decided it was time to break out the Ogre for commuting. I love the Panzer it is everything you would want in a bike......except speed. I loved having a rack and panniers on it. It made packing simple. I could take uniform, boots, running shoes, running clothes, lunch, and extra layering for winter stuff. The Surly Ogre was purpose built to accept just about any accessory made for a bike so finding a rack that would fit was not an issue. The issue is that I hate to spend a bunch of money on duplicate items. As a side note, I would have it necessary.
In comes Old Man Mountain. I e-mailed Channing to ask him what the best solution was: to use longer bolts for my Mukluk Sherpa or just by a Cold Springs rack. He could have easily said buy a new one, but he didn't. For $21 he made me a new lower fit kit that had a spacer welded on and sent longer bolts. All I need was to take off the Mukluk fit kit and put on the Ogre specific kit.
As the winter came to a close I decided it was time to break out the Ogre for commuting. I love the Panzer it is everything you would want in a bike......except speed. I loved having a rack and panniers on it. It made packing simple. I could take uniform, boots, running shoes, running clothes, lunch, and extra layering for winter stuff. The Surly Ogre was purpose built to accept just about any accessory made for a bike so finding a rack that would fit was not an issue. The issue is that I hate to spend a bunch of money on duplicate items. As a side note, I would have it necessary.
In comes Old Man Mountain. I e-mailed Channing to ask him what the best solution was: to use longer bolts for my Mukluk Sherpa or just by a Cold Springs rack. He could have easily said buy a new one, but he didn't. For $21 he made me a new lower fit kit that had a spacer welded on and sent longer bolts. All I need was to take off the Mukluk fit kit and put on the Ogre specific kit.
 |
| Old Man Mountain Fat Bike Edition |
The lower fit kit had spacers to make up for the fat rear end of the Panzer
Old Man Mountain Sherpa rack for the Mukluk with a fit kit to fit a Surly Ogre with Panniers on
From the side
From the front with panniers
Amazing, it required no manipulation. Maybe a little wider than necessary but hey, it gets the job done. In the fall I will swap fit kits and throw it on the Salsa Mukluk.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Failure
I feel defeated. Maybe frustrated is a better word, however, defeated keeps coming to mind. Part of it was due to an unexpected flat the other part is due to my failure to prepare. This resulted in me having to call home for a ride. I failed to ride 20 miles on the first really nice day of the year.
Yesterday, I was riding home from work and I noticed that my rear tire was feeling a little squirrelly. I am trying to get as many miles in before a century this weekend so I was taking the long way home. I don't know what caused it to leak in the first place, no punctures or debri stickng out of it. I put this together a month or so ago and it is been holding air, so I am not sure what caused it to start leaking air. I guess it resulted in the seal breaking along the bead.
I stopped by a gas station and was happy that I put a presta to schrader adapter in my bag. I dropped a quarter in the slot (no free air these days) and added a bunch of air but found that the bead was not sealing. I found myself on the extreme opposite side of town examining my wonderful tubeless tire watching sealant bubble around the rim. I sat for a few and watched sealant bubble in numerous spots on the tire/rim. I contemplated just breaking the bead, putting in a tube and riding home. I checked my stuff and realized that I didn't have a tube so I figured I would tough it out. I headed back to the bike path and checked it again, I was loosing air.
So I called home, sat in the shade and waited for a ride. I played with it last night, got up this morning and there is still little bubbles. There is only a finite amount of time in life. Subtract sick time and work (in this case I can count years that I have lived behind wire and concrete....not prison) the amount of time that a person can get out an enjoy life is pretty limited. I like to maximize my free time and enjoy it as much as possible. While the eternal optimist may find something great about sitting on the road by a casino......I could not.
Even today I am really frustrated. I spent a lot of time and effort getting those tires to seal, so I could sit next to a casino and watch bus loads of old people arrive so they can blow their social security checks. I will always carry a tube from now on and I will probably just revert back to the good old inner tube for that wheel. Man...I feel defeated.
Yesterday, I was riding home from work and I noticed that my rear tire was feeling a little squirrelly. I am trying to get as many miles in before a century this weekend so I was taking the long way home. I don't know what caused it to leak in the first place, no punctures or debri stickng out of it. I put this together a month or so ago and it is been holding air, so I am not sure what caused it to start leaking air. I guess it resulted in the seal breaking along the bead.
I stopped by a gas station and was happy that I put a presta to schrader adapter in my bag. I dropped a quarter in the slot (no free air these days) and added a bunch of air but found that the bead was not sealing. I found myself on the extreme opposite side of town examining my wonderful tubeless tire watching sealant bubble around the rim. I sat for a few and watched sealant bubble in numerous spots on the tire/rim. I contemplated just breaking the bead, putting in a tube and riding home. I checked my stuff and realized that I didn't have a tube so I figured I would tough it out. I headed back to the bike path and checked it again, I was loosing air.
So I called home, sat in the shade and waited for a ride. I played with it last night, got up this morning and there is still little bubbles. There is only a finite amount of time in life. Subtract sick time and work (in this case I can count years that I have lived behind wire and concrete....not prison) the amount of time that a person can get out an enjoy life is pretty limited. I like to maximize my free time and enjoy it as much as possible. While the eternal optimist may find something great about sitting on the road by a casino......I could not.
Even today I am really frustrated. I spent a lot of time and effort getting those tires to seal, so I could sit next to a casino and watch bus loads of old people arrive so they can blow their social security checks. I will always carry a tube from now on and I will probably just revert back to the good old inner tube for that wheel. Man...I feel defeated.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
A case of the Mondays on Tuesday and the Case of the Too Short Mukluk Rear Brake Cable
 |
| Happy Mukluk!!! |
By 5:00 p.m. it was a full on rain storm turning to snow with 30 m.p.h. winds. I looked at the weather and the temps were dropping to the single digits with 25-30 m.p.h. winds gusting to to 40 for the morning commute on Tuesday. I packed my Ortlieb panniers and put a little extra air in the tires after this weekend's stomp on the banks of the Mississippi. I did this in spite of being being ill. I was planning on going to the clinic in the morning when I got to post and I figured that I would be sick whether I drove or pedaled. Then I went to sleep.
Tuesday (which had the feel of work Monday) morning came and sure enough it was single digits with a 30 m.p.h. wind as advertised. I decided that I would go ahead and man u,p so I got dressed and left the house. There was a little bit of snow, only a couple of inches at most. However it turned out that it was a little dusting on the surface. It was a perfect start to a Monday (actually Tuesday.....)and the word of the day was ICE.
The challenge was to stay upright. It would have been a perfect day for studded tires. As I rode I noticed that right brake lever would not return to its starting position after I released it. At one point the lever would not return so I pushed on it and the cable was forced out of the lever. Based on the cold, wind, and ice I decided that I would have to fix it later. At least I had another brake, I would just have to remember to start slowing a little sooner. It is funny how conditioned a person can become, I don't know how many times I pulled the rear brake with no response from the caliper.
When I got to work I was coughing so hard that I actually threw up. I called my wife for a ride home at the end of the day.
Thursday night as I prepared to ride on Friday I decided to investigate what was causing the cable to stick. In the warmth of my not so warm basement everything worked fine. I adjusted some spring tension in the disc caliper. Friday the cable did the same thing with the exception of popping out. So I further investigated. Here is what I found.
Problem #1
The cable routing on the earlier Mukluk frames have the cable on the downtube and coming up to the rear caliper (this was changed on recent models). It creates something that looks like a P trap on a sink. It was performing the same basic function. I cut the cable ties and pointed the cable down. I then blew through the other end and out came a significant amount of water. Bam...the water was freezing and the caliper didn't have enough power to pull the cable back through.
Problem #2
It turns out that that with the routing and full length cable housing, a standard MTB brake cable is not long enough. It didn't even come out of the end. I did a little research and apparently some earlier Salsa blogs discuss this. I guess you don't know unless you try. I had already cut the frayed end of the cable off and put it aside for front use later so it was to short.
According to their blog which contains great seat up tips that I clearly didn't read: "A standard length front and rear shifter cable is plenty long (usually 2000 – 2300mm), and a standard brake cable (usually 1700mm) is good enough for the front brake. Only the rear brake is a concern. Most cable manufacturers now offer a ‘mountain mechanical’ rear cable that is made for mechanical disc brakes (these are usually around 2500 to 2700mm). If you can’t nail down one of those, just go with a ‘tandem length’ rear brake cable. Buy two and keep the spare in your parts bin."
Monday, I rode in with one brake. Again it is hard to remember the brake lever is useless. Hopefully today I will be able to pick one up because we are in the midst of a major snow storm and it would be nice to have another brake. Yes, I would ride with just one if I have to.
I am going to get an extra cable to put it in a repair kit for the future.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Embrace the Suck: Riding in crazy January weather.
Monday was a pleasant surprise, the weather was improving from Sunday's ice storm. I was able to run 3.5 miles at lunch and ride home in shorts with the 40 degree weather. Tuesday was flat out amazing. The high was 60 degrees and since I drove (my kids schedule isn't always conducive to riding) I went for a 4 mile run at lunch. Down right amazing for the end of January.
Then we got a dose of reality. Wednesday I woke up to an odd situation; rain in the morning turning to a major snowstorm and 37 mph winds by the end of the day. What was I to do? Drive or ride? That is an easy question.....I opted to ride. Warm in the morning and freezing at night, two very different scenarios in one day. The challenge was clothing.
For the morning commute I decided some Pearl Izumi tights with a water proof front would be a great option. They also have some insulation so it would be a little warm in the morning but just right for the ride home. This turned out to be a failure of near epic proportion. It began to rain so hard that the water merely ran down the front waterproofing and filled my boots with water. One great thing about the Mukluk is that with the fat tires I get a lot of stability on a variety of conditions, on the flip side, the Endomorph on the rear is similar to the stern-wheel boats that once travelled the Mississippi I ride along.
 |
| Stern Wheel Tread Design |
This meant that the non-water proof side of the tights worked like a Sham Wow and absorbed most of the water thrown by the tires. There was a lot of water and since goretex does just as good of a job holding water in as keeping it out and by the time I got to work my feet were sloshing around in my boots. I spent the day trying to dry them out for the ride home in the blizzard.
While sitting at major intersections, I got a lot of odd looks. I am all right with that, even though I was somewhat miserable, thanks to the Army I have learned to embrace and enjoy the suck. The hard part is getting wet, once the boots are full of water you have no choice but to enjoy life anyway.....or be miserable.
I think there are a lot of miserable people in this world. I am not one of them.
Then came the snow....and the wind. Ruthless wind.
Fortunately for me all of my stuff was dry after spending hours in front of fans with constant rotations. While the ambient air was not that cold, the wind and blowing snow was a challenge. The remainder of the week was just flat out cold, lows in the single digit negatives with wind chills taking them further down. Not to mention a miserable head wind.
What happened to nice happy 60 degrees?
Reality!
Monday, November 26, 2012
The Best Reasons to Ride
The other day I was dropping my poodles off at the kennel and I noticed that I was a couple of miles overdue for an oil change. I mentioned this to my wife and she said that is has almost been a year since it was last changed. I could not comprehend this because I try to change oil every 3-4 thousand miles. I stated that cannot be right, it had to be more miles and we debated this for a little while when it was settled after she said it was changed when the dealership replaced a seal for my window nearly one year ago.
The point of this is that in during a 1 year I will have put less than 4,000 miles on my car. I typically ride 4 days per week and it is amazing how many miles are saved by riding a bike. Not only the 16 miles (round trip) every day but the additional miles I put on as I go to a bike shop at lunch or drive to the store for something to eat or drink. I am much less likely to just kill a lunch hour by driving around and I can walk the ½ mile to get my munchies.
I then told my wife to think of all of the money I have saved us. Then she became Debby Downer and pointed out that everything I think I had saved on gas went into bicycles. While it is true that I increased my fleet by two during this time period and also bought numerous tires, inner tubes, brake pads, wheels, chains……I think the important thing is that I would have probably bought random bike stuff anyway. Therefore I saved money!!
I am not sure that I help the environment much; I consume tires, inner tubes, chain lube, and peanut butter w/honey sandwiches like they are going out of style. What I have noticed is that my overall attitude, mental health, and physical conditioning have improved. Those are the best reasons I can think of to ride a bike.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Old Man Mountain Sherpa meets the Salsa Mukluk
In previous posts I have discussed different methods of hauling stuff. Stuff is another word for junk. Of course I have used backpacks, messenger bags, a B.O.B. Trailer, Porcelain Rocket seat bag and handlebar bag (not frame bag). These have all been effective methods some carry more than others and there are so many variables.
The trailer was great but cumbersome and challenging to park. If you want take everything inside out of the weather, cumbersome and time consuming but the dry bag is huge and works well.
Porcelain Rocket is great, may be a bit on the pricey side, but there are few companies that do what Scott does. I guess that falls into supply and demand. Well made and highly functional. How much thought can you put into a seat bag....he has though of it all, there is even a rigid plastic sheet in the bottom so gravity doesn't pull your stuff out when you open it. I also like the minimalistic approach. I can carry boots and uniform and towel to work in a compact streamlined fashion. Only drawback is it is not water fast, though the front bag is designed to hold a 10L dry bag.
Now that winter is fast approaching I have decided it is time for another way to carry junk. Technical winter clothing works great if used properly. The right synthetic fleece and jacket can keep you comfy and dry. Put on a backpack......the wet and cold sets in with the sweaty back and the stuff takes a long time to dry. In order to ensure I have ample space to carry extra dry clothing and my work attire I have decided to go with a set of Ortlieb waterproof panniers and an Old Man Mountain Sherpa rack for the Muk (The Salsa Mukluk will hithertoforthen be referred to "The Panzer" (the German word for Armor, as in a German Tank or the Panzernashorn).
I typically do a lot of research before buying something. After all, that is part of the fun. What I found was that racks for bikes, even those made by companies that manufacture and sell fat bikes, require "manipulation" to fit on a fat bike. The one exception that I found (there may be others) is the Old Man Mountain Sherpa. They have specific models for the Salsa Mukluk and Pugsly. I spoke with John and he was pleasant and quick to respond to questions sent by e-mail.
It was simple to install with no manipulation required.
The guys at OMM recommended connecting the stabilizers to the seat stays just below the rim with the supplied rubber coated clamps. I ride and XL and it does not appear that there is a big distance between the anchor point on the rack and eyelets. I should probably pull our a tape and measure to see if there is a big difference. After leveling and tightening I put some big dumb animal strength and tried to shift it laterally. I didn't move so I think I will continue to use the eyelets vs going to the seat stay.
The Orlieb Panniers with dry bag construction and roll top will be here next week. All I can say is that it better snow this year!
Monday, October 8, 2012
The Ogre
The Surly Ogre has become one of my favorites based on comfort and utility.
I would like to quote a hero of mine, Han Solo, who said "She'll make point five beyond the speed of light. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid." Well except for the point five stuff but that is probably more my fault than the bike.
Here are the top three reasons I like this bike:
1. As the Surly web page says, it is very versatile. I will not go into all the details since Surly did a great job. I was considering reducing the fleet by getting rid of my El Mariachi due to the infuriating Bushnell Eccentric Bottom Bracket. The Ogre fit the bill nicely since I had once considered getting a Karate Monkey which is what the Ogre is based on. The nice thing about it is the thought Surly put into it, allowing me to do just about anything I want. I can easily mount racks and fenders. I can use the wheels from my Las Cruces (which are rim brakes) or I can put disc brakes on. 29er MTB tires or 700c road/touring tires. If I come across $1500 I can purchase a Rolhoff Speed Hub. Basically the bike can change as my needs change.
Things I dislike: Obviously I purchased the bike for many of the reasons listed above. It is a great bike however, there are a couple of minor things that I dislike. These reasons involve rust. When I asked the folks at Surly about this they sent me a info paper on their bikes and rust. Of course they recommend Frame Saver in the frame. For the outside they state that unless you leave it out in the rain, the rust is not damaging. That said I hate rust. I am not sure why, it is offensive I guess. But the Surly full cable housing guides catch water, captures it, and allows for little pools of rust.
I would like to quote a hero of mine, Han Solo, who said "She'll make point five beyond the speed of light. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid." Well except for the point five stuff but that is probably more my fault than the bike.
 |
| The Ogre Crossing the Hennepin Canal |
Here are the top three reasons I like this bike:
1. As the Surly web page says, it is very versatile. I will not go into all the details since Surly did a great job. I was considering reducing the fleet by getting rid of my El Mariachi due to the infuriating Bushnell Eccentric Bottom Bracket. The Ogre fit the bill nicely since I had once considered getting a Karate Monkey which is what the Ogre is based on. The nice thing about it is the thought Surly put into it, allowing me to do just about anything I want. I can easily mount racks and fenders. I can use the wheels from my Las Cruces (which are rim brakes) or I can put disc brakes on. 29er MTB tires or 700c road/touring tires. If I come across $1500 I can purchase a Rolhoff Speed Hub. Basically the bike can change as my needs change.
Heavy Rear End: trailers, fenders, racks, Rolhoff mounting plate on non-drive side. This baby can do it all.
2. Very reasonably priced. I bought the frame from a LBS in Rock Island, IL and I paid under $500 so I was pleased. Even though I bought the frame and built it up, the complete version is very reasonable but geared more toward the MTB side.
3. Very durable, like Han said, she may not look like much but I didn't want some fancy finish to worry about. While I don't go out of my way to beat things up, I am a big dumb animal. I didn't want to stress about the kids banging on it or parking it at a crowded bike rack.
The Build: I built it with two things in mind
1. Heavy duty commuting bike. The area I live in has concrete streets with big seams in them. They are uneven and when it gets hot the tar softens and you can loose a tire in them. My cyclocross bike can handle the bumps but I wanted a larger tire (700x45c) and my frame would not accept them. This bike will take any 29er tire.
2. Gravel Grinding. Yeah, I jumped on the Gravel Grinding bandwagon. After all I am in Iowa and there are lots of gravel roads. Embrace the local culture, that is what travelling the world is all about. Even travel to exotic Iowa!
I wanted the bike with a 48/36/26 crank set so I could get a little extra power on the flats and descents. I would have gone bigger but the frame it requires a top pull front mech and 48 teeth was the limit of the top pull MTB front derailleurs. It has been a pretty good compromise. I haven't tried it in a single track scenario but chain ring clearance could be an issue.
Aside from the unique qualities that Surly has put into the Ogre there is really nothing fascinating about the bike, the parts are pretty standard SRAM X.9, Avid V-brakes.......except for the handle bar. I decided on the Jeff Jones Loop Bar over other options to include the Salsa Wood Chipper. The Loop Bar really makes the bike stand out and it provides a large assortment of hand positions which is nice. I have found that the back sweep makes them extremely comfortable. I look forward to trying them on the single track. It works well with my Porcelain Rocket handlebar bag. Well worth the money.
This winter I am going to replace the headset with one that has sealed bearings. That will be one less thing to maintain. I really like the Loaded AmXc headset. It looks sharp.I also plan to put disc brakes on it, then I can use either cyclocross for commuting or the Salsa Semi 29ers from the red headed stepchild so I can take it on the trails. That will probably be the final step of making the El Mariachi obsolete (I had to have it just sit there, but I don't ride single speed very much). Since I plan to replace the headset I am going to strip it down and give it a dose of Frame Saver.
The Build: I built it with two things in mind
1. Heavy duty commuting bike. The area I live in has concrete streets with big seams in them. They are uneven and when it gets hot the tar softens and you can loose a tire in them. My cyclocross bike can handle the bumps but I wanted a larger tire (700x45c) and my frame would not accept them. This bike will take any 29er tire.
2. Gravel Grinding. Yeah, I jumped on the Gravel Grinding bandwagon. After all I am in Iowa and there are lots of gravel roads. Embrace the local culture, that is what travelling the world is all about. Even travel to exotic Iowa!
Ready To Pounce
I wanted the bike with a 48/36/26 crank set so I could get a little extra power on the flats and descents. I would have gone bigger but the frame it requires a top pull front mech and 48 teeth was the limit of the top pull MTB front derailleurs. It has been a pretty good compromise. I haven't tried it in a single track scenario but chain ring clearance could be an issue.
Aside from the unique qualities that Surly has put into the Ogre there is really nothing fascinating about the bike, the parts are pretty standard SRAM X.9, Avid V-brakes.......except for the handle bar. I decided on the Jeff Jones Loop Bar over other options to include the Salsa Wood Chipper. The Loop Bar really makes the bike stand out and it provides a large assortment of hand positions which is nice. I have found that the back sweep makes them extremely comfortable. I look forward to trying them on the single track. It works well with my Porcelain Rocket handlebar bag. Well worth the money.
This winter I am going to replace the headset with one that has sealed bearings. That will be one less thing to maintain. I really like the Loaded AmXc headset. It looks sharp.I also plan to put disc brakes on it, then I can use either cyclocross for commuting or the Salsa Semi 29ers from the red headed stepchild so I can take it on the trails. That will probably be the final step of making the El Mariachi obsolete (I had to have it just sit there, but I don't ride single speed very much). Since I plan to replace the headset I am going to strip it down and give it a dose of Frame Saver.
Things I dislike: Obviously I purchased the bike for many of the reasons listed above. It is a great bike however, there are a couple of minor things that I dislike. These reasons involve rust. When I asked the folks at Surly about this they sent me a info paper on their bikes and rust. Of course they recommend Frame Saver in the frame. For the outside they state that unless you leave it out in the rain, the rust is not damaging. That said I hate rust. I am not sure why, it is offensive I guess. But the Surly full cable housing guides catch water, captures it, and allows for little pools of rust.
Water Trap
As do the all of the little threaded holes for mounting stuff.
Bill and Ted Trailer Mount bolt hole = rust
Fork Blade rack mounting hole = rust
The other thing is this. I am not sure what this is called but there is a hole into the head tube which makes no sense to me. 
I am not a bike doctor and I certainly am not a rocket surgeon so I don't know what structural integrity this provides. I can tell you one thing, with out fenders water sprays directly from the tires into this contraption, collects and for some reason causes some serious rust that later runs down the frame like a little rusty river. I am going to hit it with some frame saver this winter and see what happens.
Overall I love the bike and my dislikes are purely cosmetic.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Iowa Rocks
As I have said before, when I was 20 years old if you had told me that I would live somewhere other than Montana, I would have called you crazy. Well, now I am in Iowa/Illinois. This is the last place I would have considered living (purely based on geography and the amount of corn).
We have been here less than a week and I have to say that I love it. I will list a few reasons:
1. There are more than ample bicycling opportunities. I have merely dabbled but I can say beyond a doubt this is going to be a great couple of years. Work is the only thing that can get in the way of my fun. Here are a few:
A. Hennepin Canal Parkway which boasts a 104.5 mile bike trail, with grooming in the winter for ski/snow machine, and my new passion Snow Bikes. I don't have a snow bike yet, but it is in the works.
B. A few miles from my house is the Duck Creek Parkway. Very nicely paved with the opportunity to get 20 miles (round trip) on a nice path. I have riden this once and love it.
c. Sunderbuch Park has a 7 mile mountain bike park with some very technical riding and a couple of elevation changes that challenge the legs, lungs, and heart.
2. I had an amazing bratwurst with Boetje's Mustard (I know what everyone is getting for Christmas!) down by Ol' Man River. It is nice to have that "small town" feel, it reminds me of having a hotdog at the Last Chance Gulch in Helena or Higgins Ave. in Missoula.
3. I could only come up with two so far but there will be more to follow.
Iowa rocks, even though I have seen more corn than rocks.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)