Ski season is over

Not really, but when the above was waiting for me after work yesterday, I got more exciting than I have about skiing for quite some time. Always seem silly to take the best looking component on the bike, coat it in grease, and hide it from the world in the dirtiest place inside the frame.

This bike began back in 2007, when the largest bonus I ever expect to receive from work (unless I go back to the for-profit sector) arrived unexpectedly.  I contemplated getting a Pugsley, packraft, or full suspension bike.  I got the latter, and rode the Lenzsport Leviathan in a huge number of in-retrospect almost unbelievable rides in the years to follow.  Eventually, largely but not solely due to our move to Montana, my interest verged from pure mountain biking to wilderness exploration, things often but always mutually exclusive.  I wanted a bike better suited to my new interests, and for the final time the Leviathan went up for sale.  After some negotiation, I traded it for a Salsa Mukluk.  And after around 3 months of waiting and the slow accumulation of parts, I rode this bike for the first time last night.

Giggle factor since has been rather high.

Mike and Brian were indispensable, building wheels, acquiring parts, and providing technical and spiritual assistance.  Hiccups were few: I cut the steerer on the first fork too short and had to get another, and the seatpost I had previously was too short.  And last night panic ensued as my Phil bb wrench could not be found.  Fortunately the LBS came through and sold me a new one.

This bike was built primarily to be simple, bombproof, not need upgrades ever, and to suit all genres of riding in which a fat bike might be needed.  The secondary goal, largely driven by the former desires, is to make a bike which will go from Cordova to Gustavus in the early summer of 2013.

To that end, the build is as follows:

-17″ first generation Mukluk frame and fork, Thomson setback post (410) and 90mm 0 degree stem, Mango King Headset.

-Surly front hub, Choppers USA rear hub, Large Marge rims, whatever spokes and nips Mike thought was best.

-BB7s, Avid FR5s (bling!), 760mm Kore Torsion low-rise bar, Ergons, Fizik Gobi XM saddle.

-145 mm +5 offset Phil Wood bb, 165mm Race Face North Shore cranks, 20t and 30t rings, Spot bash, 17-19t Dos Eno freewheel, ancient Shimano derailleur shifted with barrel adjuster and a bit of cable.

-Atomlab pedals, cheapest SRAM 9 speed chain available.

-120tpi Big Fat Larrys.

-MYOG frame bag.

This is going to be fun.  Questions taken in the comments.

16 responses to “Ski season is over”

  1. Brraaapp..!

  2. Enjoy your nice ride! However, as an owner of a 2011 Pugsley and seven other bikes, I respectfully submit that you have your winter priorities all wrong (e.g., “Ski season is over”).

    If I live where you live with a nearby winter paradise, instead of Minneapolis, I would spend my weekends back country skiing, snowboarding, climbing ice, and winter mountaineering.

    I would leave the biking for summer. :-)

    1. I’ll do plenty of skiing yet, but even though its finally starting to snow, this is a good winter for biking.

  3. I gleefully accept your Cordova to Gustavus invitation……

    1. Saves me the email ;)

  4. Ski season never really started here and will struggle to have any impact now that there is an inflatable rubber boat in my apartment, waiting for Spring. Cue the next few months of wishing away the winter…

    So let me get this straight. The rear mech is just there to add tension to the chain which can be MANUALLY shifted into 4 different gears via the two cogs and two chainrings? So two speeds on the 20 ring for sand/snow and two on the 30 for trail/roads, without resorting to shifter/cable/derailleur ball-ups?

    1. Pretty much. “Shifting” between the chainrings is done by hand, between the cogs via twisting the adjuster such that the derailleur moves. On super bumpy terrain I might have issues with the chain jumping off the rings, but will deal with that when/if it occurs.

  5. welcome!

  6. can I come too?

  7. This frame bag looks great!

    1. Thanks John. I like the look or your mountain ruck, especially the bright colors on the proto.

      It took me a while to dial in the details. Having plenty of velcro strappage in the right places is key. I like dimension polyant stuff better for the main panel than the Ballistics I used, but thats what I had on hand.

  8. Fat bike envy is a very real thing. That’s pretty neat that you can get enough derailleur travel just by turning that adjuster. How do you feel about those gear ratios so far?

    1. Pretty sure the ratios will prove ideal. Thus far they have. I based them off years of singlespeeding. Same gear on a fat bike seams just a bit taller than a 29er (certainly due to wheel weight and running 5 psi).

  9. […] predictable, planted.  I’ve taken to it since day one, not just because the components were mostly familiar, but because the dominant traits were ones I liked and had ridden thousands of miles with on my […]

  10. […] fully kitted with tires, slime tubes, rotors, etc weighs 16 pounds.  Like singlespeeds generally bikes like mine serve fun more purely than anything else.  Which made it perfectly suited to this ride.  I […]

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