Trek Superfly Elite

Now that a majority of my riding buddies are on 29ers, I figured it was worth finally giving one a try.  Wow.  Just wow.  I routinely ride a 32 mile MTB loop in the Marin Headlands before work that’s about 50% road, 40% fireroad and 10% singletrack, and when I rode it on a 29er the whole thing felt easier, smoother, and faster.  So I went out an bought a Trek Superfly Elite with 2011 XTR, QR15 Easton Carbon Haven 29er wheels, and a Fox 100mm 29er fork.  The bike is amazing.  It weights 21.5 lbs, flys uphill, and has much more traction than I would have expected on the downs.

First impressions:

• Small bumps, roots, rocks, brake-bumps are smoothed out considerably by the bit wheels
• Uphill traction is better than that of a 26″ hard-tail
• Traction on corners is much better than I expected.  (that might be due to the larger contact patch or due to the Schwalbe Racing Ralph 29er tires)
• It rolls faster and carries more momentum on flats, downs, and rollers.
• The steering precision on the Easton Carbon Haven wheels with the QR15 is as good or better than any 26″ wheel I’ve ridden.

Impressions after 500 miles:

• 2×10 drivetrain is fun, but it’s hard to find the right gear on the pavement if you’re used to a 3×10 or a road bike.
• 2×10 drivetrain also means that the bailout granny gear just isn’t there for the end of long races and rides.
• It makes 50 mile rides really fun!
• I can’t see any reason to go back to a 26″ hard-tail.

I often ride to the trails, rather than driving to the trails, and the Trek Superfly Elite 29er is fantastic for that, especially with the subsequent MTB ride is a mix of singletrack and fire-road.  Does it replace my full suspension 26″ wheeled Ibis Mojo?  Definitely not.  But it sure does replace my 26″ hard-tail and does start to encroach on the territory of the 26″ full suspension bike.  But when it comes to all-mountain terrain, serious rocks, roots and technical trail, and hucking, my Ibis Mojo is still my bike of choice.  However, ever since I’ve owned the Superfly I’ve done 75% if not 80% of my riding on it, which says a lot.

My only complaint is that I wish I had made the switch to a 29er years ago.

Packing properly for long rides makes them much more enjoyable!

I’ve raced the Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race twice and this past weekend raced the Tahoe-Sierra 50 mile MTB race.  Being in shape for these races is important, but just as important if you want to finish and have the best race you can is carrying the right tools.

Here’s what I’ll be carrying at any future marathon mountain bike races that I do:

• spare tube
• CO2 and pump
• multi-tool that has a chain tool on it
• tire levers
• quick-connect chain links
• spare derailleur hanger
• spare brake pads
• spare derailleur cable
• zip ties
• GPS
• maps of the area
• Cell phone & phone number of the race director and anyone else you know at the race.

Unless you know the trails, it’s entirely possible to get  lost on a 50 or 100 mile mtb race.  If you have a GPS and you start it at the beginning of the race, you can always look at the track on it and find your way back to the race course or back to the start.  Similarly, unless you know the trails and area well, it may be worth carrying a map of the area or a trail map.  That way, if your GPS breaks, of if you don’t have one, you can use the map to find your way home.

Although a cell phone is extra weight, it’s well worth it to be able to call for help if you get off course or come upon another racer who is injured or if you yourself are injured.

Twice now I’ve broken derailleur cables in races.  Grrr….  At Downieville I was able to ride out in a 3×1, but this weekend at the Tahoe Sierra 50 I spent 7 minutes jury-rigging my derailleur so I could pedal out the long climb out.  Unfortunately that cost me 3rd place overall and 2nd pro-Expert.  That said, I’m still pretty excited about 4th pro-expert and 5th overall.  The problem is that by running a bike as a 3×1 I ended up doing quite a bit of cross-chaining and single-speed style hammering, both greatly increasing the likely hood of me breaking a chain or tearing off a derailleur.  You can see how the problems can add up quickly when you have a mechanical in a race.  If I’d had a derailleur cable I would have taken the 5 minutes to replace it for sure.

Similarly, a racer who was doing the 100 broke his chain and had a quick-connect chain link, but didn’t have a chain-tool so he wasn’t able to take out the busted link so that he could replace it with the quick connect.  It took him an hour before another racer who actually had a chain tool stopped to help him fix it.

Yes, having these tools can add a few ounces to your camelbak.  But that’s well worth it in my mind if it’s the difference between riding to the finish vs a very very long slow hike out with a broken bike.  I’d also consider a leatherman or that sort of tool, but don’t yet have it listed as a “must have”.

Happy trails!

Giro Remedy Glove with d3o

I just picked up a pair of Giro Remedy gloves with d3o and took them out on a 3 hour ride.  When I tried them on they were a little tight at first, but I was told that the pittards leather palm would stretch once they got sweaty.  That’s true.  They were really tight at first and by about 15 min of riding, if not sooner they fit perfectly.  They’re a light weight full finger glove with great protection.

They have D3O padding on the knuckles too which is fantastic.  It’s soft until you hit it, then it gets hard on impact.  I’ve ridden with D3O knee pads and after putting them through their paces I definitely believe in the technology.  I’ve ridden with other gloves with knuckle protection like the Fox Unibomber glove, but the prior gloves haven’t been nearly as comfortable or flexible.  They’ve always been a little stiff, particularly in the knuckles where the armor is.  Not the case with the Giro Remedy gloves.  They’ve really comfortable, have great grip, and breathe well.  A fantastic full finger glove for summer riding that still has knuckle protection for the trees.

The latest entrant is “The Clymb“.  Instead of doing one product at a time, The Clymb generally does one brand at a time.  So for example, they’ll have a 3 day Teva sale, or a 3 day Camelbak sale.  They too seem to have everything at least 50% off, although I believe their official statement is “up to 70% off”.  Interestingly, The Clymb states that it is a private community, by invitation only.  So here’s my invitation link if you want to join.  However, I think that anyone can request an invitation from the site directly.  My guess is that it is invitation only so that they’re able to offer deeper discounts that traditional retailers without going against the terms of their suppliers.  The other thing worth noting is that The Clymb only accepts returns on apparel and footwear for 30 days and for store credit.  No returns on gear or equipment.  And that is why I have never purchased gear from them.  Apparel only.  I’m not going to buy something online if there’s not option to return it.  But when it’s 60% off, lots of people are willing to take the gamble.

What’s your favorite discounted gear site?

Specialized Eskar 2Bliss

If you’re a skilled rider and braking traction and cornering are what you’re after, than the Specialized Eskar is for you.

Climbing & Descending:

The Escar has a row of wide blocks & wedges down the middle of the tire that give it incredible traction for both braking and climbing.  I’ve mainly been running it as a front tire, and even under extremely heavy braking it feels very in control.

Cornering:

The Escar has big, wide cornering blocks on the shoulder of the tire, and they mean business.  They’re spaced fairly close together, all in a row, and if you really lean the bike over in a corner they dig in and take hold of whatever trail you’re on.  I’ve ridden them in soft loamy dirt, wet trail, hard pack, and loose dirt gravel on top of hard pack, and in all cases it cornered as well or better than any tire I’ve ridden.  However, there is a bit of a blind spot between the center blocks and the side knobs on the shoulder of the tire, much like on the Maxxis HighRoller.  If you’re tentative in a corner and only partially commit your bike, it may well slide or drift until it’s far enough over for the side knobs to hook up.  And they will hook up.  But if you’re not ready for the drift or comfortable with it, this may not be the tire for you.  (in that case go with the Bontrager XR4)

Pros:

Incredible traction and great corner, if you commit to the corner.

Cons

The only catch is that you do have to commit the bike into the corners and really lean it over.  There’s a gap between the knobs on the top of the tire and cornering knobs on the side of the tire, and if you try to corner on that gap the tire will drift or slide out until the cornering knobs on the shoulder catch.  The first time that happened it was pretty unsettling.  Now I’m used to it, and know to really lean the bike over.

Ride this tire if you are:

• Looking for a great tire for all conditions
• Want confidence in corners
• Like to know that if you hit the brakes the tire will hold
• Like to run tubeless tires.

Less ideal for:

XC racer looking for an extremely fast rolling tire.  The knobs on this are big enough that they won’t roll as fast as some of the lower profile XC race tires like the Maxxis Crossmark or Bontrager XR2.

Also not ideal for a rider who wants great traction no matter how good (or poor) their cornering technique is.  For the less advanced rider I’d recommend the Bontrager XR4 tire.  It’s fantastic for just about anyone except the XC racer weight weenie.

Cost (MSRP) $45
Rolling speed: Medium
Grip: High – on loose terrain
Durability: High
Idea use: trail riding / all mountain riding, Downhill
Ideal bike: 5” – 7” travel bike
Weight: 770 grams

WTB Mutano Race 2.4

WTB makes tires for people who ride.  They don’t make silly light race day tires that wear out too quickly, nor do they make really heavy tires that are not practical to pedal up a hill.  They make fast tires with good grip at a reasonable weight.  Hard to beat that.

The latest WTB Mutano Race 2.4 is no different.  It weights 600 grams, which is very reasonable for an all mountain tire.  The thing I love most about this tire is the small ridge that runs down the center of the tread.  It means that if you’re on pavement or hard-pack you’re actually riding on a very narrow piece of the tire with much less rolling resistance than if you were rolling across huge knobs.  If you ride road to get to your trailhead or if you’re racing and want to be rolling as fast as possible whenever possible, you’ll love the center ridge.  But once you lead the tire over, huge knobs is what you get.  Knobs, and lots of ‘em.

The tire has a fairly round profile which means that you’ll have to lean the bike a little further over to engage the side cornering knobs, and it also seems to mean that the tire rolls fast no matter what angle it’s at.  Those are a few of the many reasons I decided to race this tire at the Downieville Classic XC race this year:

• At 600 grams its light enough to pedal up hill
• Fast rolling for the pavement & hard dirt sections
• It’s a 2.4 so it has enough air volume not to pinch on the rocky sections
• Strong sidewalls and casing so it does not to tear too easily
• The bead that can be mounted up with tubes or tubeless.
• Big cornering knobs for the high speeds descents

The only downside to this tire is that it does drift if you only sort of commit to a corner.  If you really commit, it’s fine, but if you’re less than on-top of your technique than the tire can definitely get away from you.   Therefore, if I’m not worried about being fast on the pavement or hard-pack, I generally choose a tire like the Bontrager XR4 that has better all around grip but rolls a little slower.  However, for race day, when I’m not worried about sliding around in corners a bit and want a fast tire that I can still descend hard on, I turn to the 2.4 Mutano Raptor as my front tire.

Cost (MSRP) $50
Rolling speed: Fast
Grip: Medium
Durability: High
Idea use: trail riding / all mountain riding, XC Racing
Ideal bike: Hardtail on up to a – 6” travel bike

Bontrager XR4 Tire

By David Belden

The Bontrager XR4 tire has fantastic grip even on loose dirt to the point that it is confidence inspiring. I ride the same loop consisting of 15 miles of road and 15 miles of dirt at least once a week which makes for a great testing ground for mountain bike parts, especially tires. Here’s my impression after taking the Bontrager XR4 tire out for a lap on that loop on my Ibis Mojo.

The Bontrager XR4 tire felt a little slower than other tires I’ve ridden on the pavement, probably due to the lack of center ridge down the middle. And that’s ok. At 740grams for a 26×2.35” tire these aren’t the tire I’d pick if you want a mountain bike tire that’s also fast on the road. For that I’d look at the Bontrager XR2 26×2.1”(~560g) or the Maxxis Crossmark.

Once I pointed the tires downhill I was very impressed. In corners where I’m used to other tires sliding, they held their line. I raced down one of our short, 4 minute single track descents I was able to equal my fastest time down it while feeling like I had a much larger margin for error, and much more control.

The tire’s profile is only slightly rounded with good size knobs fairly close together across the width of the tire, and therefore they have great grip at any angle. They accelerate and brake well when the bike is upright but also corner extremely well when leaned over. I’ve ridden other tires that have a bit of a “blind spot” (Specialized Escar, Maxxis HighRoller) meaning that if you only the get bike part way over in a corner you’ll slide or drift until you get the bike leaned over far enough to hit the shoulder knobs on the side of the tire. Not the case with the XR4. They had traction the whole time.

I’m racing the Ashland Super D this weekend and will definitely run these tires there. If you’re looking for a do everything tire for your 4”-6” travel all-mountain bike, I highly recommend the Bontrager XR4. If you’re looking for a light, fast rolling tire for XC racing, I’d say go with the Bontrager XR2.

Happy trails!

Cost $59
Rolling speed: Medium
Grip: High
Durability: Medium
Idea use: trail riding / all mountain riding, Super-D racing
Ideal bike: 4” – 6” travel bike

Bontrager XR2 Tire

The Bontrager XR2 Team Issue TLR (tubeless ready) tire is about as good as it gets for an XC race tire.  I’ve tried a number of XC race tires over the year and the Bontrager XR2 is one of my favorites. The XR2 almost has a complete ridge down the center of the tire so if you’re on pavement or hard dirt you’ll be rolling on that ridge, which means they’ll be fast with low rolling resistance. However once you lean them over they have good, midsized knobs that will take over the traction duties.

They’re fairly light at 540 grams for the 2.1, which is light enough for any XC race. They’re also are “tubless ready” which means that they are very easy to mount on a tubeless rim with an air compressor. I run mine on a UST rim with Stan’s No-Tubes sealant in them.

They have a round profile which means that you never have all that much tire touching the dirt, and therefore you can get some drift in corners. For example, they’ll slide much more than their heavier and wider older brother, the Bontrager XR4.

I’d put these in the category with the Maxxis Crossmark 2.1, Schwalbe Rocket Ron and Schwable Racing Ralph. But unlike the tubeless version of the Raching Ralph these are very easy to mount up with or without a tube. I had a heck of a time getting the UST racing Ralph on my rims.

So, if you’re looking for a tire to ride fairly smooth trails on your hard-tail or mixed road & dirt or for XC racing, I’d definitely recommend the Bontrager XR2. I currently have them mounted up on my Ibis Tranny and am very happy with them. The only downside is that if you do much road riding on your mountain bike (ie. Riding to the trails) I think they’ll wear out faster than say a Maxxis Crossmark. However they’ll last much longer than a Schwalbe tire since those tend to be extremely soft (and expensive) “race day only” tires.

Cost $59
Rolling speed: Fast
Grip: Medium
Durability: Medium
Idea use: XC racing, trail riding
Ideal bike: Hardtail up to 4” travel bike