It has been a while since I posted and wanted to bring things up to speed on the bike front. After JJ's graduation party I started to do some riding again. I had been off the bike for 2 months. The fitness is still there, however the speed is not. I just wanted to talk a bit about the bikes I have been riding.
Gravity Zilla
The Zilla is my go to bike for most rides. I built this bike from the frame up with parts I had from a previous road bike. It is a 2x9 Shimano Ultegra with Avid BB7 brakes and Specialized/DT Swiss wheels, Vee XCX 29x1.75 tires. Salsa Cowbell bars and Giant stem. This bike is great on the roads around here. Just a bit on the heavy side at 25 pounds. At some point I would like to upgrade the drivetrain, probably a 2x10 at some point?
The Green Machine
The fat bike rolls really smooth on the local roads. This bike is a Motobecane FB4 Comp and has been heavily modified. The only thing from the factory that is still on it are the handlebars. It has a Sram 1x10 drivetrain with a Praxis 11-40 cassette. I still really like this bike and will keep it as a beater and spare for anyone that may want to give the fat bike a try. Having this bike allows the Vortex to stay set up for winter, although I may be trying something with that bike soon?
Performance Access 29er/in B+ mode!
This has been a fun experiment! It is a Performance Access Carbon 29er frame in 19 inch. This bike has a Shimano 1x10 drivetrain, Zee shifters, SLX derailleur with a Sram cassette and a Fouriers 42 tooth expander cog kit. Avid BB7 brakes, Chinese carbon seat post and Bontrager bar/stem combo that came off the Trek Farley. I have a set of Specialized/DT Swiss wheels with Kenda Karma 29x2.2 tires to run in 29 mode.
After doing a little research I determined that I could use this as a B+ bike also. I came across a wheel and tire deal through Bike Island. Very budget friendly deal to give B+ a try. So lets take a closer look at the wheels and tires.
The Wheels
The wheels are not truly plus wheels. They have Shimano hubs laced to Weinmann U28 rims. These rims have an inner width of 21mm, a little small for plus. These rims give the tires a little more round profile.
WTB Trailblzer 27.5x2.8
The Trailblazer here is the rear tire. I wanted to run a 3 inch on both front and rear. However, there was not enough clearance in back. This tire is tubeless ready and clears the chain and seatstays with room to spare.
WTB Bridger 27.5x3
The Bridger is the front tire, is not tubeless ready and 27 TPI. Not as supple as the rear tire. But still a good value.
So how does this perform? I have not had a trail ride on these tires yet. I have done two gravel rides and like the tires. On gravel the 29er tire would bounce around a bit. The B+ tire does not do this, it soaks up the gravel and roles over. The tire is very stable. I believe it would be even better on a B+ rim?
That brings us up to date on what I have been doing with the bikes. I have not been on the Farly this summer yet. Hope to get a few trail rides in with it.
I am planning a ride from our house for August. Looks like it will be a good turnout. Get the old gang back together. If successful I would like to make this an annual ride.
Thanks for reading.
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