Gravel adventure in Chiliwack - Tamihi challenge

Ride for Water is a charity that raises money to help Ethiopians with  getting fresh water.  The fund is raised by charity bike rides and runs.  The pandemic didn't them from raising money and they are doing it by setting up gravel ride challenges in Fraser Valley.    There are 3 challenges, and I did m first one today.  

After breakfast, I loaded my bike and gear to my car for a 85km drive to Chilliwack.  It had been a a long time since I last headed east on Hwy 1.  Morning traffic on Saturday and I let my Mazda3 loose  for 40 minutes.  It had been a while I drove on the fast lane.  I backed it down to a more manageable speed not because speeding ticket, but to save gas.  

Once I was off the highway, the windows and sunroof was open.  The early spring air was warm and mixed with manure smell.  I was in the country side after all.   I was just glad that I was able to be out riding my bike.

The ride started from the the coffee truck at Vedder Park in Chilliwack.  In the next 30km, I explored trails on the Tamihi area.  The trails are mainly used by dirt bikers and ATV, but you also see the mountain bikers in the area too.  Because this is a gravel ride, there was no technical trails.  Just fire roads climbs and descents.  It reminds me of the early mountain biking days.  We only rode fire roads as our bikes had no suspensions and had geometry similar to the road bikes. 

Before I started my ride, I was afraid that my bike may not have low enough gear to tackle the climbs. After I settled into a pace, I realised that I was able to ride all of them.  At no point that I needed to get off the bike and push.  The climb was also short and punchy.  I only had to use my lowest gear at a one spot.  I was able to settle in a steady pace for the majority of the climb.

What goes up must comes down.  My drop bar mountain bike didn't preform too badly.  My hands were on the drop, and my butt was hanging over the rear tire.  Without any suspension part, my body was loose enough to take the bumps.  I was very comfortable on the bike and I was grinning from ear to ear.    The large volume of the 29" tires had something to do with it too.  The big tires were so much better than the 26er.  More traction and more air.  They were awesome, but this down hill also killed my rear tire.  The side wall wasn't very strong and the side wall was gone.  I managed to ride back to the car without have a flat.  I must thank my lucky star.

The ride back to the car park was just on the road.  It was kind of boring because I could only go so fast on the mountain bike.  Also, the side wall is giving out and the ride wasn't very stable.  But the view was good.  country side.  Green grass.  Quiet life.  Beautiful day. Then I heard gun shots!  WTF?  That's because I was near a gun range.. lol

The rest of the ride was okay.  Before I head home, I got cheap gas in Abbotsford and a donair..Hopefully I will do another ride next week.

#upstreamchallenge #rideforwater #gravelbike #trekxcalibur #dropbar29er #dropbarmountainbike #partypace

 

Evolution of Mrs Batty Cee (On One Midge)

I always knew that the Jones Bar was only going to be a temporary set up. Although I love it but it still was a drop bar.

As  I mentioned on a previous post, the Kona P2 fork changed the bike's geometry.  Not only the head angle is steeper, but the effective top tube is about 2 cm shorter.  The changes made the bike perfect for the drop bar conversion.

OnOne Midge is my top choice for off road drop bar.  I tried a few, but none feels as good as this one.  The reach is 65mm and the drop is shallow and short.  The 560mm  width is perfect for this application.  Also with the short and high rise stem, this bar offers 3 different positions and they all help during the ride. 

Because of the drop section is short, it also the perfect bar to run barcon shifters.  I have fast access to them as I spend lots of time in the drops and I can shift through the cassette in one action.  It is also not a complicated like the STI shifters.  

For a while, I took Shiggy's advice on drop bar set up, but I realised that his advice didn't suit my need. I want my drop bar to offers me multiple positions and I want to ride on the hood.  He didn't think mountain bikers should ride in the hood and he thinks people should just ride in the drop exclusively.  It makes sense but I feels like it is a waste of the bar if I am not going to use other positions.  Also, this bike won't be riding lots of technical trails, as Mrs. Batty Cee will be the All Terrain Bike.

During a ride, I would spending my time on the 3 different positions.  It depends if I am going up, going down or cruising on the flats. I am comfortable on the drop and it is my go to position

 

 

Evolution of Mrs. Batty Cee (how it finally became a Drop Bar 29er) Part 1 - Kona Fork

 Not sure I crossed the line or blurred the line with my 29er.  I got her a few years ago to to experience the 29" wheels.  The bike definitely roll a lot faster than the 26" wheels.  I can't say that I was in love with it in the early stages, but I have grown to love it.

However, I never really liked the high front end and the slack/relaxed angles.  The stock 100mm front shock was supple but the front angle changes too much and I much prefer bikes with less changes. My fork eventually needed service and I decided it was time to retire the fork and get something different.

Sourcing out a rigid for in 2020 wasn't a easy task.  They are out of stock in lots of places because factories were shut down around the globe.  In December, I found one.  Not an ideal one but the price was right.  I got myself an Kona P2 29er.  The fork was designed for one of Kona's 29ers bur the fork is very different than the Rockshox XC30.  For one thing, the Kona is about 40mm shorter and have 5mm less offset.  The common belief is that the frame is designed for 100mm fork and I should replace it with a fork that is similar in length.  But I have a different idea.  

The suspension forks are designed to move during the ride and the angles of the bike will be different depends on how much the fork moved.  I also feel that the fork are often compressed more than 40mm when it is ridden down hill.  So instead of pursuing a 480mm fork, I opted for a 460mm

It was somewhat a gamble.

The fork arrived and I nervously  installed the fork.  I really hope that it would work.  I didn't change anything at first.  I ran the bike with a 60mm stem and a 700mm flat bar.  I tried this combo out and I didn't like it. the steering was way too quick.  The wide bar had too much leverage.

To slow it down, a 70mm stem and a 600mm flat bar went on. It slowed the steering and I liked it.  It worked and I rode like a 90's XC bike.  It was a fun bike to ride on the easy trails.  But needless to say, the flat bar didn't stay with the bike long. It was replaced with a Jones bar 

my 29er experience so far

Her name is Big Wheel Battie and she is a Trek X-Caliber with 29" wheels.  She is my first 29er and the frame is also a size bigger than my old 26er.  Since I brought her home, I have been struggling with the fit with the handlebar.  She came with a set of 690mm Bontrager riser.  I like the width, but not the rise. I have ridden her with a set of Ritchey Flat bar for the last 6 months, but I wished the bar was wider.  I tired the riser again but I felt like that I was steering a truck.  I couldn't figure out why I prefer the flat and I thought that I was a retro grouch.

I posted something on a mountain biking forum and one person replied that he wish that he was short enough to use a flat bar.  because of this guy's comment, I finally know why I prefer flat.  I am short and the bike is tall.  The riser will make the bike even taller.  It is also not just the rise, the up sweep also part of the equation.

Being the birth place of freeriding and North Shore experience, bike shops in Vancouver don't normally stock flat bars for xc hardtails.  By chance, I found a set of Raceface Turbine Flat bar at a bike shop and they only want 29 bucks for it!! Scored!!

The initial ride down the road was positive.  I will have to try it out at the trail this weekend.  With the 720mm width, I may be able to add more leverage to the climb.  I don't know yet. and I may have to trim it down to more manageable 700mm.

This bar may also help me to transition her to a single speed.  I don't know yet.  as much as I enjoy racing my single speed in the local cross races, I still like a to have versatile bike!

to be continued!

#trekbikes #29er #xchardtail #flatbar #mountainbiking