Return Of The Big One

Finally.


Since my primary race bike/big-wheeled monster The Big O has been out of commission for a while, it was time to get it going again. I’ve been waiting for what seemed like forever, but when I got home a package had been delivered:




Was it a mail-order kid from some third world country that I could use as the new B-43 mechanic? Was it the new wheel I ordered? I busted open the mystery box and pulled out the contents:



Yay, a shiny, new wheel, complete with a working freehub. Befoe I could get started though, I had to grab some liquid refreshment. The beer of choice for today’s mechanic action? Hoptober from New Belgium Brewing Company.



Now it was time to get down to business. I removed the old wheel from The Big O, removed the tire (carefully saving the remaining Stan’s fluid), and pulled out my homemade tubeless valve stem. Now I just had to prepare the new wheel for some tubeless action:



Yeah, I’m still going “Ghetto Tubeless.” It has worked very well for me, especially since a flat tire was not one of my many mechanical issues as of late. I prepared for the rest of the “normal” tubeless setup procedure. Soapy water and brush? Check.




Everything went according to my (lack of) plan, and the tire mounted up just fine. In fact, since it was the same tire that I previously set up tubeless, the leak factor was minimal. I broke the seal, added an extra scoop of Stan’s goo just for good measure, and re-inflated the tire. Success. After letting the sealant penetrate the bead area of the tire, I was ready to install the cassette, brake rotor, and mount the wheel on the bike. The whole procedure was much quicker this time, probably because I am the master of tubeless tire installation.



I took it for a test ride around the neighborhood, and everything seemed good to go. No leaks at all, which is a good thing. Would it last for an entire ride this time? I haven’t completed a full trail on this bike in a long time, so I was a little worried. What better way to know for sure than to enter a race, right? Last night was the season finale of the Summer Series, held at the U.S. National Whitewater Center, so I signed right up.


This was supposed to be a “fun race”, since I’m not really in any kind of racing shape at all at this point. With all of the bad luck I’ve been having with my bicycles, it would be a good test of my mechanicin’ skills anyway. I’m not in any kind of contention for points or a final podium spot, so I had nothing to lose (except for parts off of my bike.) I had one minor issue, which actually made it a little difficult to finish. The important thing is, I finished. I haven’t finished a race in a while, so this was a pretty big accomplishment. It looks like my season might be back on track, just as it is about to start winding down.


Speaking of winding down, that’s exactly what we did after the race. Since it was the Summer Series Finale, we hung out at the bar at got our drink on:



We even got to do a little socializing, since the gang was all there. Here we have Lunchbox and the Space Cowboy chatting it up with Little Miss Sunshine:



I can’t believe it’s over. Don’t worry though. There will be plenty of other shit to talk about. The adventures are just beginning, as long as my mechanical issues are resolved.

Big Wheels Keep on Turnin’

This weekend was my first opportunity to ride The Big O on an actual trail. Even though my new 29er was “finished” Thursday evening, I still had to do a few minor adjustments before I took it out for a real ride. I spent a little time Saturday afternoon making sure the gears shifted properly, and also adjusting the headset and brakes. I took it for a quick spin around the neighborhood, and I knew it was good to go. The next stop? Sherman Branch. This big bike looked a little intimidating to me, but it also looked like it might be fun.



Little Miss Sunshine and Lunchbox also wanted to go for a ride, so I knew this would be a good way to test it. Since this would be the first time that I ever road on a 29er, I didn’t want to have the temptation of going “race speed.” The fam wouldn’t be down for trying to achieve their personal best lap time out there, and I knew it would give me a chance to get a good feel for my new big wheels.


What a ridiculous-looking contrast between us and our bikes.


We arrived at the trailhead on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and the parking lot was pretty full (as usual.) We got our shit together and headed out, with me leading the way. I tried to keep a slow, yet decent pace, and both LMS and LB kept up nicely. Even though I expected a big learning curve for the bigger-wheeled bike, I was pleasantly surprised. I flew down the trail, and it was easy to keep my speed. The roots, jumps, and other obstacles were no match for the 29 inch wheel, and I had plenty of momentum on the climbs. The biggest drawback to riding a 29er (or so I’ve heard) was the difficulty in accelerating, but even that was a non-issue.




The bigger wheels, combined with my weight, turned out to be a blessing for going downhill. I had plenty of speed, and it was effortless. I never had any issues maneuvering the bike either, and I felt just as nimble as I did when I rode 26 inch wheel bikes. I think I might be in love.


The Diamondback Overdrive (or The Big O as it is now known to me) was like riding in a dream. The frame was stiff and responsive, and the size fit me perfectly. I built it up better than it comes from the factory, and I’m glad I did. The XT shifters and front and rear derailleurs handled the shifting perfectly, and the LX crankset gave me plenty of force to power through the climbs. The big wheel gave me plenty of clearance over the many obstacles at Sherman Branch too. I had no problems taking the turns at high speed, and I actually felt like I was riding faster with less effort than before. While I am obviously biased towards Diamondback Bicycles (and now the Overdrive in particular), I’m sure that this might be the case with all 29er bikes. I did have a small braking issue, which was quickly remedied by some trailside repair.



Honestly, I can’t believe I didn’t try this sooner. Even though I always saw smaller guys (and girls) riding these big-wheeled machines, I have been told that someone as tall as I am should be on a 29er anyway. I couldn’t agree more. I think I may have found my new race bike. Don’t worry Goose, I’ll still ride you for all the gnarly stuff. I won’t be giving up the full squish at all, but it does look like it will be officially retired from racing.


What about the rest of the family on our ride? Well, they had a great time too. We completed the whole loop, and everyone had a blast.





What a great way to spend a Sunday. I even finished the day with a frosty beverage (or two or three.)

New Bikes, New Builds, and Awesome Love

Since I’ve been spending the last few days horribly recapping the 6 Hours of Warrior Creek, I didn’t get a chance to talk about the shopping trip that Little Miss Sunshine and I took da udda day. She’s been talking for a while now about getting a road bike, and I’ve been unable to find anything in her size on the cheap. I had considered building one up for her, but I was having a hard time finding an extra small frame anywhere.

After fishing in The Bay, looking on The List of Craig, searching my local Internets forums, and even asking around, I was stumped. We finally decided to go visit a local shop to see if they had anything.


After a short drive over to the University area in NE Charlotte, we ended up at Bike Line. We went there because my usual shop, Middle Ring Cycles, is closed for the week. She needed some new shoes anyway, so a shop close to the house was very convenient. Anyway, it didn’t take long for her to find one she liked. They had a nice size 47 Trek 1.2, and she immediately fell in love with it. Shane (the HMFIC over at Bike Line) came over and asked if we needed any help. Little Miss Sunshine asked if she could take it for a spin. A few minutes later she was tear-assing through the parking lot on it. She rode around a bit, and told him she liked it. We talked it over for a few minutes, and she decided that we would add one more bike to our stable. What the hell, right?


When we walked out of the shop with the new bike, Little Miss Sunshine was as happy as a pig in shit, and it was nice to see. While she will still ride the mountain bike, she will probably enjoy the road just as much. I’d like to give a huge thank you to Shane and the rest of the crew at Bike Line for all of their help (and for putting up with us.) It’s a pretty nice shop with a great selection, and the staff is very friendly and helpful. Check them out if you’re in Charlotte.
Here is the new addition to our familiy:



There is yet another new bike addition here at B-43, and it’s time to let the cat out of the bag. Ever since I announced that I was giving big wheels a try, I’ve been busy scrounging up parts and trying to put something together. The last piece of the puzzle came yesterday via the The Big Brown Truck, so I got busy in the shop. I’ve had this thing pretty much built for the last two weeks or so, but I was still lacking a wheelset. Well, since that’s what was delivered to the B-43 Worldwide Headquarters last night, I was ready to complete the build.



The Big O is ready to hit up a trail near you (if you live near me, that is.) I didn’t get to do much driveway testing last night, but I think I might like this thing. It is a huge bike, with it’s 22 inch frame and all. I guess I don’t have to worry about Little Miss Sunshine taking it out for a spin, do I? I didn’t spend a ton of money on this “project”, but I put some decent parts on it. Easton EA50 Bars, stem, and handlebars, RockShox Tora Solo Air fork, Shimano XT shifters, cassette, front and rear derailleurs, WTB seat and rims, Hayes Sole hydraulic disc brakes, Lizard Skins lock on grips, and Kenda Nevegal tires. Not too bad for a “budget build” 29er I guess, especially since it has better crap on it that the original specs. Don’t believe me? Well then, check out the 2008 Diamondback Overdrive specs.


I’ve jumped into the world of 29ers without breaking the bank, and I did it better and cheaper than I thought I could. I’m not knocking Diamondback bicycles in any way, since I obviously have a lot of love for them. Everyone ends up putting better parts on their bikes (no matter which brand it is), so I just did it during the build. Those guys out there in Washington state at the Diamondback HQ have put together a nice entry-level 29er, but I needed a little more. I’m sure they understand. Here is an ad for the Overdrive just in case:




Speaking of the lovely state of Washington, I got a little more love from the good people out at Backcountry Research. No, it wasn’t more Awesome Straps (I have plenty right now), but they did put my pathetic reviews on their website. The link for it is on their front page under the instructional video, but I’ll save you the trouble of looking for it and just tell you to click the image below.



If you’ve been here a while, you’ve read my reviews. However, the millions of people who are out there considering purchasing their first Awesome Strap can use my reviews (plus Dicky’s and another guy I don’t know) to help them make up their minds. Just stay away from the sharks and bulls, please. Animals are our friends. See y’all Monday.