Honestly…how many different wheels sizes do we need? With the introduction of the 650B (27.5″) wheel size, we are now up to 3 different available wheel sizes for mountain bikes if you don’t include the 24″ variety. The idea is that you get the same rolling power seen in 29″ wheels with the agility of 26″. I am not jumping on the bandwagon that fast for several reasons.
got a chance awhile back to get some serious saddle time in on an ’08 Turner RFX. This particular one was custom sparkle white with a Marzocchi 55ATA and a Cane Creek Double Barrel. The ’08 RFX’s received a weight decrease…
It was only a matter of time before I blogged my sled. I am actually surprised it took this long quite honestly. Built by Sherwood Gibson of Ventana Mountain Bikes USA, this in one of the highest quality bikes I have ever owned. As my riding style started to change…so did my bikes. I ended up needing something that could handle more of a beating than what I had been riding previously. Apparently large drops to flat aren’t a good idea on 4 and 5 inch bikes…who knew?
So what does a 650.00 headset look like? Here it is…the Cane Creek Reserve 110 headset. So what do you do with a handmade, precision-machined titanium, inlaid with maple or mahogany headset?
Another incredible ss 29er. This Independent Fab belongs to Jason up in Asheville, NC. The component list ranges from Phil Wood, Eno, Fox, Brooks and Chris King. Independent Fabrication makes some of the best steel hardtails on the market and this one is no exception. The midnight blue against the white of the Fox F29 is a perfect mix.
Ham is building up another incredible sled, the Ibis Mojo. I will admit, I had my reservations about this bike when it was introduced, but even just a parking lot test will tell you that this is a great ride. Granted, this one has a Push’d Pike and RP23, so it has the best air suspension components available.
What a ride! Fred Cuthbert makes a killer ride. By far the best 29er I have ever been on. The geometry is a close resemblance of what you see out of Jeff Jone’s stable. It eems to put you in the perfect stand and hammer climbing position that you are often forced into with rigid singlespeeding. The bike almost felt like it had suspension with the large volume tires and compliant rear end. Nothing quite beats the feeling of a custom steel ride.
Everyone that is saying that 15mm is going to be lighter than 20mm has no engineering background at all. All things created equal…the difference with the same materials and parts would at most be several grams…and this small difference would not be felt on the bike when it is actually ridden.