29inCH

The Smuggler's Trail

Mon, 28 May 2012 22:47:00 +0200

After two visits to the Chasseral I was looking for something a little different today. So I followed the Dinosaur Traces from last year, but then continued straight to Sonceboz where I started the climb of the Pierre Pertuis pass. The wide trail up to the top of the pass was easy, all on hardpack and not very steep. But things changed from there. The marked mountain bike route #44 follows a steep forest trail. On a geared bike you would drop into a small gear and start patiently spinning until the trail spits you out onto a small paved road 200 meters higher. On my singlespeed it was an exercise in turning the cranks in slow motion trying the best not to stall. Back on the road the legs went back to pushing the cranks faster. I was worried about the next section of trail, though. A rough uphill trail with loose gravel waited around the next turn. Well, it turned out to be a lot easier than I thought. Soon I reached the Métairie de Werdt from where the trail stayed pretty much at the same elevation for the journey across the Montoz. It’s quite nice up there; awesome views in every direction and lots of mountain restaurants if one feels a little hungry. As far as mountain biking it’s a rather boring adventure. It’s all gravel. No singletrack far and wide. The Montoz’s really a better destination for a cyclocross bike. I continued eastwards until I got to the Obere Bürenberg, where I started looking for the entrance to the so-called “Schmugglerwägli” - the Smuggler’s Trail. I had no trouble finding it and dropped into this narrow, technical trail. It’s nice, has a bunch of steep, rooty and rocky sections and a few places where you’re better off walking. Is it worth heading out there? For a “seen it - done it” sort of trip - yes. To do on a regular basis - not really. Next I climbed from the Wäsmeli along the Stützliweg to the Montagne de Romont. This trail’s fun. It climbs on forest ground spiked with lots of the typical Jura limestone. On a singlespeed there are two sections you need to power through if you don’t want to get tossed off the bike. A grassy trail brought me to the Montagne de Romont where I had to look hard for the trail down to Vauffelin. No trail in sight, I rode through tall grass until I spotted a yellow trail marker. The trail to Vauffelin is steep, narrow and too darn straight. Leaves cover loose rocks and broken branches, so forget about going fast. In short: a trail that kills elevation fast without being overly exciting. I crossed the small village of Vauffelin to climb the north side of the Bözingenberg. The first half of the climb is a typical forest service road. But it leads to a fun uphill singletrack that’s always a joy to take. Once at the top, I headed to the so-so downhill that ends just above the Tierpark. I walked through this one, then crossed the bridge across the Taubenlochschlucht to head back home. A fun day out on the bike, but not a loop I need to repeat on my Niner. The Montoz is cyclocross material.

Distance:

49.7 km (30.9 miles)

Elevation:

2’122 m (6’962 feet)

Time:

03:49:39

Speed (avg/max):

13.0/55.0 kph (8.0/34.2 mph)

A Variation To The Combe Grède Loop

Sun, 27 May 2012 20:57:00 +0200

Looking for a longer loop to the Chasseral with a nice amount of climbing? Look no further! Today’s loop across the Twannberg adds a couple more miles to yesterday’s loop while requiring about the same 6600 feet of climbing. I left a little late this morning because the Biocentic BB needed attention. On yesterday’s loop in creaked badly. No surprise there. The Niner BB’s famous for that. I took it apart, cleaned it and then reassembled it before heading out. It creaked at the beginning, then went silent for the first climb only to start creaking again for the remainder of the ride. I think if you own a Niner with an EBB you just have to try to live with it. It’s not great, but there’s no proven fix. I tuned it out and had a good ride. On my way back, I passed two groups of bikers. When I passed the second, someone greeted me saying: “The TwentyNiner forum is out on the trails”. Nice that folks know the forum and recognize you out on the trail. I need to apologize though, I didn’t stay with the group for long as I was on a mission to get home.

Distance:

65.6 km (40.8 miles)

Elevation:

2’017 m (6’617 feet)

Time:

04:57:37

Speed (avg/max):

13.2/53.2 kph (8.2/33.0 mph)

A Visit To The Combe Grède

Sat, 26 May 2012 20:48:00 +0200

After yesterday’s cycling break on Fivefingers, it was time to roll out the bike again and hit a loop in the local hills. I followed the same trails as on Wednesday only this time under a sunny sky. The Bise was blowing and kept temperatures in check; perfect riding conditions that a lot of other two-wheeled folks enjoyed as well. Three days ago I missed a really great spot - an overlook at 1352 meters with a fantastic view of the Combe Grède. With the dense fog that day I wouldn’t have seen anything. Today on the other hand was spectacular. The vista point makes an ideal place for a short break before hitting the last climbs to reach the Chasseral and that’s just what I did. Once at the antenna, I followed the crest and took the mandatory Spaghetti Trail to head home. Interesting observation: On my way up to the Chasseral, I did neither pass nor cross a single cyclist. On the way from the antenna eastwards along the crest I passed more than thirty bikers. Where did they come from and how did they get there?

Distance:

58.4 km (36.3 miles)

Elevation:

2’036 m (6’680 feet)

Time:

04:38:13

Speed (avg/max):

12.6/54.3 kph (7.8/33.7 mph)

GPS Track:

GPSies.com

19T Cogs By Homebrewed Components

Thu, 24 May 2012 20:08:42 +0200

Waited for two months for these puppies, but the wait was worth it. Two cogs, both with 19 teeth, one steel, the other titanium, steel for the new bike, ti for the old bike.

Visiting The Creux De Glace

Wed, 23 May 2012 19:45:00 +0200

My last mountain bike ride dates back to April 9th. I haven’t been lazy, though. I’ve logged a lots of miles since then, but exclusively on the road bike and the cyclocrosser. Today I had something different in mind. I wanted to head out and enjoy the warm yet cloudy spring day, have fun on big wheels and doing so also collect a good amount of climbing meters. The day started with the fun part. First I popped onto a narrow trail following the Suze river thinking I’d be able to cross the river farther up. Well, that trail, as much fun as it was, dead-ended soon after. I turned around and went back onto the official hiking trail. To find some fun I got off the gravel trail and rode a cement wall that separates the trail from the Suze river ten feet below. Funny how a decently wide wall only has one single difficulty - knowing that falling off wouldn’t be pleasant experience. The experiment didn’t end with a bath in the river and shortly after, the trail started to point upwards. After some climbing and a good amount of singletrack my next destination was the Creux de Glace. Unfortunately, it was closed off due the a high risk of rockslides. I continued to the Combe Grède in heavy fog and occasional rain, then climbed to the Chasseral. It wasn’t pretty today, but that extra loop is totally worth the effort on a dry, sunny day. I stopped at the Chasseral antenna for a few pictures, then followed the crest eastwards to get back home. The past couple of rains have turned this trail segment into a mudfest. The bike and I soon carried a couple of pounds of mud, which I hosed off in the backyard as soon as I got home.

Distance:

58.7 km (36.5 miles)

Elevation:

1’993 m (6’539 feet)

Time:

04:53:32

Speed (avg/max):

12.0/49.4 kph (7.5/30.7 mph)

Cyclocrossing The Montagne De Romont

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:57:00 +0200

On Wednesday I did a quick cyclocross ride to the Montage de Romont, which offers a fantastic, paved climb with a stunning view. I’ll be adding this destination to my out and back training rides on the road bike. Should make a perfect ride when time is tight on a weekday after work. I crossed over to the Stierenberg then went for another climb to reach the Montoz. I was wearing bib shorts, an undershirt and arm warmers. Up to that point of the ride those few clothes were sufficient. Little did I know that it got a whole lot colder on the Montoz and suddenly even started to snow. My initial idea was to reach the Col de Pierre Pertuis, but the sudden snowfall quickly made me abandon that idea. I dropped to the Pré la Patte, where things got a muddy mess. I managed to make it through there and froze on the way to Péry. I took the shortcut through the cement factory in Rondchâtel to quickly head back home. On those 50k both the bike and I suffered hell. I got a hot shower, the bike did not. It was too late and I was too cold to give the Mares its much needed shower with the garden hose.

Distance:

49.6 km (30.8 miles)

Elevation:

1’642 m (5’387 feet)

Time:

02:43:06

Speed (avg/max):

18.3/74.9 kph (11.4/46.5 mph)

Lizard Encounters Slugs

Sat, 12 May 2012 15:42:41 +0200

I love mountain biking, but when I’m out on the cyclocross bike and pass a group of mountain bikers, sitting on fullies and spinning a granny gear to slowly gain elevation, it feels like a brief encounter between a lizard and a group of slugs. Mountain bikes make it up everything, but they certainly aren’t the fastest doing it. The last couple of weeks, I haven’t ridden my big-wheeled slug. Instead, I prefered the lightness and speed of my road bike and more recently, the agility of my cyclocrosser. Thurday night, after a long day attending a trade show, an old friend - the Mont Sujet - got a visit from me.

Distance:

47.0 km (29.2 miles)

Elevation:

1’449 m (4’754 feet)

Time:

02:20:48

Speed (avg/max):

20.0/72.4 kph (12.4/45.0 mph)

Of Mis-Shifts And Chain-Skips

Sun, 06 May 2012 19:27:29 +0200

Sometimes you work on your bike, get it clean and shiny and get the whole drivetrain perfectly dialed, then you’re out on the trail with mis-shifts and chain-skips. It all shifted smoothly in the work-stand and shifted smoothly the first couple of miles. As soon as the trail steepened, cog number nine on the already used 10-speed Shimano cassette didn’t want to be friends with the new SRAM chain. I tried a few trail-side derailleur adjustments to no avail. 15 kilometers into the ride, I turned around to head back home. I swapped the Dura-Ace cassette with another lightly used Ultegra cassette and then hammered back and forth on my street to check the transmission. Cassette and chain worked together. There was a hole in the sky that let the sun through, so I decided to head back out for a second ride. This time, I rode to the Twannberg where I would decide the next leg of the route based on the weather conditions. When I got up there, a pretty heavy downpour was quickly approaching from the Chasseral. I turned right to ride away from it, but about 15 minutes later it caught up to me. First it drizzled, and soon enough it was just pouring. The cool thing about those moments is that you just don’t care about getting soaked. The water runs down your face and has that deliciously salted taste. Arms and legs get coated with a liquid glaze and look even more pronounced than they already are. You look at your legs spinning the pedals and you push even harder. The heavy downpour was over almost as soon as it started. I shot back into town, rode into the backyard and hosed down the bike. After only 32 kilometers it had collected a good amount of dirt that is more easily removed as long as it’s still moist.

Bikedays In Solothurn

Sat, 05 May 2012 16:38:00 +0200

This morning I jumped onto the train to meet friends at the Bikedays in Solothurn. When I arrived the sky was grey but unlike Biel, the streets were still dry. Well, that changed not much later in the morning as we walked through the expo area. It started with a light rain and ended in a pretty hefty downpour, that fortunately didn’t last all that long. While 29ers were still a rare sight last year, they were everywhere this year. Every manufacturer brought them to Solothurn, whether aluminum hardtails, full-suspension or high-end carbon. Everything in the spotlight was a 29er. While there are still a lot of 26ers, the excitement definitely is exclusively on 29ers. Ask about 650B and vendors don’t want to reveal what they’ve got in the pipeline. I had someone say that the 26 inch wheel was a dying breed, speculating that 650B would take over many MTB segments with 29ers ruling the hardtail market. I think so, too. Time will tell. While I personally don’t follow the racing scene very much, the men’s race in the morning was predominantly ridden on big wheels. Last year, it was the total opposite with only the odd rider or two cruising around the race course on big wheels. 2012 big wheels arrived in Solothurn and they’re here to stay - yay!

The Steererless Steerer

Wed, 02 May 2012 12:46:23 +0200

Introducing A New Headset Standard

Years ago, when I had access to machine tools, I used to design components and machine them myself on a CNC lathe or mill. One such project was a mountain bike hub set with radial straight-pull spokes; another was a set of direct-pull brakes years before V-brakes were born. As my professional path got me farther away from machine shops, many great ideas remained just that - great ideas. While it would have always been fun to make new components, it made no sense to pay machine-shop hours when there were plenty of after-market components readily available at a fraction of the cost. Occasionally still, an idea pops into my mind. Sometimes I take the time to sketch it out on paper, but more often than not it remains an imagination swirling through my neural pathways. Lately, I’ve been looking at fat-bikes and thought they’d be great candidates for a dual-crown rigid fork. Here’s how I’d build it.

Your typical bicycle fork consists of two fork legs, a fork crown and a steerer tube running through the larger head tube of the frame. At the top and bottom of the frame’s head tube bearings, known as headset, provide a rotatable interface between the fork and the frame. For a long time headset cups were pressed into the head tube. In the old days the top of the fork was threaded. The upper headset had a threaded adjustable race to remove any play and a locknut right above it to make sure it all stayed that way. In the early 90ies threadless headsets, a design by Dia Compe (now Cane Creek) got rid of the threaded steerer tube and the threaded top headset race. Instead the steerer tube extends from the fork all the way through the head tube and above the headset, and is held in place by the stem clamped on top. A top cap with a preload bolt and a star nut driven into the steerer tube are used to press the stem down on a compression ring of the upper headset bearing cup. Headset adjustment is done with the preload (or cap) bolt. More recently, integrated or internal headsets have moved the bearings inside the head tube, while keeping the threadless compression principle. Take a look at Wikipedia for a more detailed explanation of the different headset designs.

Threadless, integrated or internal headsets offer a solid and light-weight interface between fork and frame for most bikes. On downhill bikes with dual fork crowns and direct mount stems that no longer attach to the steerer tube but to the upper fork crown however, the current headset design seems a bit antiquated. At least to me. Why bother with headset races, compression rings, star nut and top cap on a burly downhill fork?

My solution: get rid of all those components, toss the steerer tube away at the same time and put the bearings into the upper and lower fork crown. Now machine the frame’s head tube so that the bearings can ride on the outside of the headtube. Play adjustment can be achieved through various methods, for example with a threaded adjustment ring in the top fork crown that pushes down the upper bearing.

The above described idea is copyleft © 29in.ch. Permission is hereby granted to use the work. The inventor is looking for new challenges and can be hired.

Specialized Jett Expert 29

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:38:00 +0200

This year, my wife wanted to make the jump to big wheels, so we spent time online browsing a large number of bike manufacturer’s website to find out what they had to offer for 2012. She wanted a good mountain bike that was specifically designed for women without looking too feminine. Colors like pink were an absolute no-no. In addition, she wanted a bike with a low standover. She quickly found everything she wanted in Specialized’s Jett Expert 29.

So, one rainy Saturday we made a visit to the Bicycle Gallery in nearby Ipsach. The shop is the largest Specialized dealer in the area and has quite a large selection of 29ers in the showroom. The shop had two Jett Comp 29 in 17 and 19 inches but no Expert. A quick look at the computer showed that Experts were already sold out. Three were at the central warehouse but were already reserved. Knowing that people often put a reservation on something but then decide not to get it, we told the shop that we would take one of these Jett Expert 29, should one become available. The following week we got a call and my wife had her Expert.

We bought it with its original 3x10 mix of Deore and Deore XT transmission, which I immediately removed. My wife doesn’t want to deal with derailleur shifting. Instead, the new bike was equipped with a black Alfine hub laced into the original, white Alex rim. Black spokes and red nipples were used to match the front wheel. The crankset lost its three chainrings and got a sweet Rotor Q-Ring with 34 teeth from Bikespeed.ch, which got us the ring in no time.

The Jett Expert 29 runs all the brake and shifting cables along the bottom of the top tube. The rear shifting cable the continues below the right seat stay to meet the XT shadow derailleur in the back. An Alfine hub is designed for a shifting cable at the chain stay. A bit of research before we purchased the bike showed that using an Alfine hub with the cable at the seat stay was no problem. One just has to use the green and blue spacers for vertical dropouts and swap left and right to have the hub cassette joint unit point upwards in the direction of the seat stay.

After a first ride this weekend, there’s one more thing on the wishlist - a Cane Creek Thudbuster suspension seatpost. A red K-Edge ring guard will soon cover the front chainring. Not so much for chain retention, but more as a barrier between leg and chainring. Other than that, the Specialized Jett Expert 29 is now perfectly set up and ready for regular rides through our local forests and along our nearby rivers and lakes.

Rotor Singlespeed Q-Ring 34T/104BCD

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:00:00 +0200

A set of compact Rotor Q-Rings have been on my road bike for a year and I would not exchange them for anything else. I do a lot of climbing and Rotor’s oval chainrings have made every hill climb less of an effort. Whether spinning seated or mashing out of the saddle, I’m faster and return fresher than on round rings. Currently, only my road bike is equipped with them. The cyclocrosser will be getting a set next. If my singlespeed had a smaller 4-bolt spider, the Q-ring I just bought would have been on there long ago. This 34T singlespeed ring however will be spinning in tandem with the crank of my wife’s new 29er to propel an 8-speed Alfine hub in the back. I’m pretty sure she’ll appreciate the benefits of an oval ring as much as I do.

Chris King i7 InSet Headset

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:14:28 +0200

It’s the coolest thing when you get home and a package smiles at you when you open the mailbox. Usually, you expect a yellow delivery attempt notice with a hand-written note stating how much you owe customs. A day later you can go pick up your package at the nearest post office. You just have to make sure to bring plenty of cash else you return empty-handed. Today, I found a small package from the US in the mailbox. Since I’m waiting for a handful of things from over there, I had no idea what was inside. Before checking, I quickly had to run to my local bike shop to get an item ready for my wife’s new bike. When I returned I immediately ran for the package and found the Chris King i7 InSet I recently ordered inside. I had a standard 1 1/8” Chris King headset on my old One 9 but while growth hormones work well on cyclists, they do absolutely nothing when given to bicycle components. Well, that 1 1/8” relic from cycling days gone by just wasn’t going to meet present requirements. It found a happy new owner on Ebay and the world continues to spin - on King bearings of course.

Fizik Antares 00 Saddle

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:05:20 +0200

Back in the early 90ies my mountain bikes were always equipped with the legendary Selle Italia Flite saddle. Later, I transitioned to the SLR out of the same house. In March of last year, I switched brands and gave Fizik’s Antares saddle a try. It was love on first contact. The commuter and cyclocross bikes got an Antares K:ium and in February an OO was installed on the Niner. Any Antares saddle is great, but the 00 is in a whole different league so it was only an obvious choice to use one for the next build. Purchased from the cool folks over at Bikespeed.ch.

Old Wheelset For A New Build

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:25:44 +0200

When I built my first 29er back in 2006, I had Mike Curiak of Lacemine29 lace me up a set of singlespeed wheels using Hope Pro II hubs, Bontrager Mustang OSB Disc rims and DT Aerolite spokes. I rode this wheelset on my Niner One 9 for four years. They’re still in awesome shape, which is certainly more a testament of Mike’s wheel-lacing wizardry than my unspectacular riding skills, so they’re going to be called back into active duty on a new bike for which I’m currently assembling a mix of old and new components.

★ The Wheelset Specs ★

Hubs:

red Hope Pro II (singlespeed, bolt-on rear)

Rims:

Bontrager Mustang OSB Disc

Spokes:

black DT Aerolite

Rotors:

Alligator Starlite (180 front, 160 rear)

Blingy Rotors To Avoid Warp Speed

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 16:17:14 +0200

After many winter rides and a bunch of mud rides, the Formula rotors on my Niner dropped quite a bit below the minimum thickness recommended by Formula. The brake track was no longer flat so it was time to toss them into the recycling bin and put a new set on the bike. I found just the right pair on Ebay, bought them and got them in a nicely padded envelope from a vendor in neighboring Italy. New original pads came from my local bike shop. Lots of my own sweat was lost wielding a rag in one hand and WD40 in the other, before they were mounted on the sparklingly clean bike.

Early Visit To The Goatback

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 23:01:22 +0200

Today I got off a late start and the afternoon looked very much the same as the past couple of days. I wanted to reach the Colisses-du-Haut and then head eastwards. When I approached the Twannberg, it started to drizzle and the Chasseral was wrapped in clouds. I continued on and decided that the ride would only be cut short if conditions got worse. Well, it didn’t take too long and the rain ceased. Just above Nods, my rear tire picked up a nail and I had to stop to replace the tube. A while later, I turned into the long, steady climb to the Colisses-du-Haut at 1’325 meters above sea. The gravel-road was wet and extremely soft. Not much later, much of the forest floor was white, covered with a thin layer of fresh snow. From the Colisses-du-Haut, I turned eastwards with the idea of hitting the famous Geissrücken trail. The entire way there was super muddy and wet. The Geissrücken (goatback) wet - no, that wouldn’t be a very good nor smart idea. I checked it out anyway and found a totally dry descent. I rode as much as I could on my rigid Niner, without ever risking too much being alone up there. I wondered if I’d do any better on a bike like the Quarterhorse. Well, in a few months I should know.

Distance:

44.3 km (27.5 mi)

Elevation:

1’512 m (4’961 ft)

Time:

03:44:33

Speed (avg/max):

11.8/52.8 kph (7.3/32.8 mph)

Visit To The Mont Sujet

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 11:54:55 +0200

On Saturday, Biel woke up under a grey veil just as it did the day before. The wooden floor on our balcony was not in its usual grey but a shiny brown. It must have rained during the night. Looking south the sky looked threateningly dark. The Jura in the north however was engulfed in a friendly looking haze. It seemed safe enough to spend a couple of hours on the bike so I left for the Mont Sujet, which I had not visited yet this year. Standing slightly south-east of the taller Chasseral, the Mont Sujet seems to have his own climate that generally dictates a longer winter than anything else in proximity. I decided to take the easy western approach to climb the mountain and found it entirely free of snow. The ground though, clearly showed that the snow had only melted very recently. I had to be back home around 1PM, so I turned into the Noir Combe (the Black Canyon) to jump into a downhill trail ending at the Métairie de Prêles. Both canyon and downhill still had some snow. The rocky downhill was extremely wet and challenging. At the Métairie I stopped to see my mom and have a cup of coffee. I couldn’t stay long. A few things needed to be done at home. I took the shortest offroad way to reach the Spaghetti Trail and dropped to the Jorat. The trail had dried quite a bit in just a day and this time the tires remained in their trajectory through the trail’s rocky sections. On a wet day like yesterday, they slip all over the place. I was back in town in no time to take care of my list of house chores.

Distance:

39.5 km (24.5 mi)

Elevation:

1’404 m (4’606 ft)

Time:

02:55:54

Speed (avg/max):

13.5/53.1 kph (8.4/33.0 mph)

Les Goules Sans Neige

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:08:27 +0200

While a lot of folks escaped south for the Easter weekend in search of a couple sunny days, we avoided the gridlock on the highways and stayed home. It’s been foggy and wet outside but it hasn’t been raining. In other words the day offered itself for a nice mountain bike ride across deserted trails. I chose the Rondchâtel climb, as it’s a good climb in any type of weather. The forest in the lower part of the climb is currently filled with a delicious smell of wild garlic. The whole ground is covered with this flavorsome herb. As I gained altitude, visibility got shorter and shorter. Trees were dripping water in the thick fog and when I left the gravel road, I really had to pay attention to stay on course. I decided to follow the crest across Les Goules (goule = stream sink), where I had to climb across a half dozen fallen trees and had to battle an extremely slippery trail. While I was moving forward rather slowly, the Niner rolled through mud and across soapy limestone with bravery. At the Cabane du Jura I turned left to hit the downhill back home. The slippery descent required a bit more force on the brakes and a bit more attention the the trail. Back home, the bike got a quick shower in the backyard after which the chain got dried and oiled to be ready for another ride tomorrow.

Distance:

31.7 km (19.7 mi)

Elevation:

1’306 m (4’285 ft)

Time:

02:45:48

Speed (avg/max):

11.5/45.4 kph (7.1/28.2 mph)

Christoph Sauser at Cape Epic

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:32:21 +0200

Bigger is better!
Everything smaller is a compromise!