Latest Red Headed Step Child on the block

The bio on that bike is a good one.

So, it's March 2004...I have been riding a Bianchi SISS singlespeed for 2 weeks. It's a week before the Counting Coup. It's Saturday, so I head out to Old Camp because the rain kept me away from everywhere else. On the SISS, I hit Old Camp, down the Luge, back up around to the Flag and back down the Luge. Training ride complete. Get home, hose the mud of the bike. "Hmmm, that piece of mud won't come off the chainstay...WAIT! That's not mud! That's a crack in the stay! DOH!!!!!"

Monday, I drive to the Path. Tani inspects, evaluates. He tells me he'll give me shop credit on the Bianchi, orders me an XL Surly 1x1 which will hopefully be stronger. Thursday, frame arrives, and the Path crew go to work swapping cranks, fork, etc. Friday afternoon I pick it up, take it home. I check bolts, etc.

Saturday is the Counting Coup. I ride. I finished in 6:30 I think.

That frame broke 3 months later in the exact same spot the SISS did. That's when Karl (Path lead dude) pulls me aside and says... "Have you heard of this 29er thing? You should consider it...." Tani walks in and adds his condoning input.

Here we are in 2008, many thousands of dollars and a few bikes later...

and I can't thank Karl and Tani enough. I'm attaching one pic, taken by SlowSSer on my Surly's maiden voyage, the Counting Coup...on the Pain Divide somewhere... (that's also one of the last events I wore baggies in! Gross!)

 

so you were so harsh on your ride that you broke two frames at the same location

 

The SISS apparently suffered from a "known problem" of weak stays that they corrected.

The Surly lasted many many times longer but ultimately failed in the same spot.

Why?

The best guesses are tubing size.

My size and leverage put stress on the bike in ways little folks cant.

Let's put it this way...I have a custom titanium hardtail from Scott Quiring. My buddy Josh also has one. He's about 100lbs lighter than me.

The tubing used on the seat tube on my Quiring is the tubing used on his Quiring's top tube.

My custom bikes have HUGE tubing that eliminates or greatly reduces the leverage I'm throwing at these frames. Even though they are titanium, they look aluminum.

My SS ti DeSalvo has about 1500 miles and a year and half on it and it's going strong!

I wasn't harsh on the frames. The SiSS saw about 5 rides via Whiting, El Morro, and Aliso. The Surly saw about 40 rides but suffered a similar fate.

 

I like hotdogs and milk.

Thought I should gets some facts out in this 26-29 debate.

(See what happens we people don't ride)

 

I'm a huge fan of hotdogs, but I hate milk...

[-(

 

And for the last time--his name is Red Hot Sloth, not Red Headed Step Child!!!:lol::lol:

 

Just say when

Carol Ann has three of them.....a geared hardtail, a SS and a 3" FS. She's 5'1" and they fit great. The toptubes are all in the 22.5 realm with no toe overlap. They're awesome! She'd be happy to let you ride them.

B

 

Oh Brian, you're so sweet to volunteer Carol Ann's bikes. What a guy!... :lol::lol:

 

Hehehehehe

I get some sort of say since I build/maintain them!

B

 

Did you know that cow milk is 80% mucus? No kidding, now back on track...

If God had wanted us to ride 29ers he would of invented them first and not made any people under 5'6".

I've tried a few 9ers and they made me feel as if my center of gravity was to high. Almost like I was on my road bike. I understand the pro's and con's of both sides. And I think this is all just a fad like those gears and brake thingys they're putting on bikes nowadays.

Hell, when OMR was a chile they didn't even have pedals or brakes. And the frames were made out of wood. This is true Dean told me, but it was way before my time.

 

you just ruined the wholesome goodness of milk for me

 

I doubt that they change the leverage at all. The large tubes are just stronger and can resist the leverage. Leverage is a matter of the length of the lever and the force applied. The lever is your leg and the force is the pressure you're applying, so the leverage doesn't change.

That said, I'm sure the bigger tubes do a great job of resisting the forces of that leverage and keeping you moving forward.

Enjoy the ride.

~Reed

 

Throw a wrench into things

Anybody see this months MBAction? Good article on 26"vs.29"vs.650B.650B kind of interests me because the wheels will work with existing frames and forks.Just a thought.- Lloyd

 

Mmmmmm.......mucus.

 

......

I've tried a few 9ers and they made me feel as if my center of gravity was to high. #-o

The exact opposite is true. With the higher axles in relation to the BB

 

And the BB is the standard height it's always been.
26" = low BB + low axle height.
29" = low BB + high axle height.

If I add up the numbers 29" is still > 26".:wave:

Although I've ridden a 29'er only once, I think you feel the higher axle height when you turn the front wheel. All the pivot points on the front end are higher than a 26'er.

 

That's funny how the opposite feeling impacted me.

Your saddle was probably too high. Oops!

 

And the BB is the standard height it's always been Correct

However with the higher axle height you sit more in the bike than on top:wave:

 

29er's are harder to wheelie because the rear axle is higher. And 29er's are harder to endo.

 

Oh, that explains it. I can't get my 29er to wheelie to save my life. I thought it was just because I suck. Now I know there's actual Physics behind it. Too bad I still suck.