Spinning my tiny 28x22t single-speed gear up Mt Seymour yesterday, I reached that point of sustained race pace* where I was ready to keel over or cry. My legs were both alive with pain and dead drained of power, my heart was beating at around 8:14 of Caravan, and I was breathing like an air-cooled VW van with a giant ‘Choose Happy’ sticker covering 3/4 of the vents.
Why the sudden need for bicycle-born self-flagellation? I think I’ve just been reading too much news this week, this month, this year. I like to be informed, or at least to feel informed, I read The Guardian, the NYTimes, etc., but, as with buying bits and bikes, I think I need to take more of a min-max approach to that as well. Minimize my amount of time ready; maximize the new information I’m taking in.
Anywho, I also had a lot of min-maxing on my mind when it comes to bicycle stuff this week. Maximizing my saddle time around Claire’s hockey and some work I’ve picked up; minimizing other distractions as I have a lot of MEATengines material to mow. Then, my friend Steve posted on the internet about using his electric pump in the forest and let’s just say I went right off track.
The title, and subject matter, for this week’s SBTISAOAF is entirely down to how much time I’ve spend thinking about my awesome Wolf Tooth EnCase 85cc ‘mini’ pump and how I’m going to beat Steve with it show it to Steve if I ever see him pull his e-pump out on the trail. Sorry, Steve.
*{Just because it’s snail-slow comparatively, doesn’t mean it’s not brutally quick for me.}
Steve’s Next ‘Mini’ Pump
I’m not telling anyone what personal electronics to use at home or even discretely in the parking lot, but when I hear the ‘BRRRRRAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC’ of an electric mini-pump in the forest I become a bad person. The sound is horrendous. My imagination busts loose and I can’t help but envision the inflator, that’s the person not the pump, being gobbled up by a bear.
Never mind the future-garbage state of even the most expensive inflators, especially subjected to the detritus and destruction of living in a pack or frame bag, the noise is horrendous and except for Steve, who single-speeds, everyone I know who uses one has a questionable track record for keeping their derailleur battery charged, never mind something that lives in their pack until needed.
The push-back is, of course, that mini-pumps suck. And that’s not true at all, just most mini-pumps suck. Especially the cheap-cheap-cheap ones, but even some of the more expensive options don’t do well in a life where they’re strapped to a bike or floating in a bag in all sorts of different elements. Nothing like failed pumps seals or snapping an actuator, when it comes to inflating a tire on a cold rainy night ride.
One pump that definitely doesn’t suck is Wolf Tooth’s element evading EnCase, available in ultra-mini 30cc, mini 40cc, and not-that-mini 85cc sizes*. Wolf Tooth pumps have storage capacity for their EnCase tools, which may influence some folks on what size to buy, but besides that standard pump logic rules. The bigger the barrel, the less action required to inflate a tire.
*{I previously wrote about the 40cc & 85cc sizes for BikeMag – if you’re interested there’s a lot of details there, but the adverts are even more insane now, so I wanted to pre-warn you.}
I keep my pump in my pack and when it actually comes time to fix a proper flat nothing beats the 85cc EnCase. {Pack} Volume aside, the 85cc pump on its own is 153-grams and the 40cc pump weights in at 95-grams. So that’s double the pump for 50% more weight to hump. That said, I’ve used the 40cc pump plenty as well and it’s great for folks rocking a hip-pack, Jim-bag, in-frame storage, or just prefer a more subtle pump aesthetic when bolting it under a bottle cage.
Not cheap, but this is a buy-once-cry-one, buy-nice-or-buy-twice, amortize-your-life level product. Fully sealed from the environment, even for those that want to carry it on their bike, and well supported with WTC’s ‘Right to Repair’ parts inventory.
I’m genuinely a share-the-tools sort of rider. If I come across someone without a pump, even if I have to cut my own ride short, I’m there to help. Especially for folks carrying a pump that has crapped itself. But, GEShole that I am, if I come across someone with a dead electronic pump in the woods, no I didn’t?
Anyway, Steve, I’m trying not to manifest your future mauling, but ‘BRRRRRAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC’, sorry, what did you… ‘BRRRRRAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC’. Never mind.
New Cog Day
This week I installed the final fresh IADFF Endless Kick Ass cog in my home stack, so it’s time to re-up on one-speed drivetrain bits. I mean, I always have an extra 22t cog of some sort kicking around just in case, but once I can feel the worn teeth through the chain, even after filing burrs, it’s time for some ornamental upcycling. Don’t let anyone tell you that they moved to single-speeding to save money; single-speeding ruins everything.
I’m asked for cog recommendations with some minor, but consistent, frequency. Cheap and cheerful, it’s hard to beat a steel Surly cog {13t-to-22t}. Wolf Tooth makes nice aluminium cogs {up to 22t} and really nice stainless steel cogs but only up to a 20t size. Garbaruk’s aluminium narrow-wide cogs are excellent and come in generous and rare 26t, 28t, and 30t sizes for HG drivers but is missing the more common middle {no 22t for Drew-Bob}. I’m a tinge sad I never convinced the fine folks at NSBillet to add some Can-Con to the list with a steel or aluminium option, but, let’s be honest, there are a lot of options.
Personally, I think Shanna at Endless Bike Co is rad, has a rad story of buying the company for US$1, and has a great lineup of well made wide-bottom aluminium cogs {14t-to-25t} so that’s typically what I buy. If you have a preference, awesome, and if it’s not on my list please let me know. If you don’t have a preference, check out any of the options above, and, of course, Endless Kick Ass Cogs.
Wolf Tooth ReMote Pro Dropper Lever
I think it’s fair to say that WTC popularized, or even created the market for, high end cartridge-bearing dropper post remotes, and they still make some of the best options in the business. Although [aside][/aside] my favourite-favourite iteration of their design is actually the Canadian 9point8 revision called the Digit 2.0.
And, yes, lately I’ve mostly been riding BikeYoke Triggy Alpha levers, in the long variety, which are lovely option for a high-leverage and shorter throw setup. They use my favourite clamp system, the Splits, which is also my favourite MatchMaker compatible shifter clamp.
That said, I have Wolf Tooth on the brain this week thanks to Steve and his electric pump. I’ve ridden extensively the Wolf Tooth ReMote/ReMote LA and improved, stiffness & durability, ReMote Pro, and they’re both excellent options. Rebuildable with excellent replacement part availability thanks to a focus of long-term product support. I know, I’m a total nerd, but it’s surprising how many WTC ReMotes are in the local wilds until you realize that at least half the shops in town are stockists with staff/owners who also use them.
EnCase I Need Two of the Same Hex Keys
Two WTC products in one SBTISAOAF?! I was pedaling up on a night ride, last year, with my friend BEE, talking about rainy-night-mechanicals past, when it dawned on me the number of potential bicycle bolt tightening events that require two of the same sized hex-key. Usually a pair of 5mm or pair of 6mm and the fact that on a solo-ride that could be a pain in the ass. BEE was already one step ahead, packing the double multi-tools.
I always carry my Wolf Tooth 8-Bit Pack Pliers, in my, well, pack. So, I have every size tool I need and some leverage for the bigger bits, but what to do about my clear requirement for a second tool? Maybe something round that could live with the spare gloves in my pack’s accessible belt pockets? But most multi-tools have sharp edges, and are bulky, or they have such cheap shite interfaces.
I’ve had this original WTC EnCase tool since the spring of 2020, and it’s lived in my commuter bike’s handlebar for ages, which is likely obvious from the, entirely cosmetic, tool-bit deterioration. There’s a reason they started coating the bits black for future editions but this tool still works great. I prefer to keep all my tools in my pack, so that’s where it lives as of recently. Still a great piece; given a new life and used regularly on the trail.
Barnside Oktoberfest Märzenbier
Wolf Tooth doesn’t make beer, but if they did I could see them buying fully into Barnside Brewing Co‘s farm fresh philosophy. I don’t pretend for a second to be an expert at anything, and beer less than most stuff, but I know what I like and this Oktoberfest Märzenbier was so simply enjoyable.
Yeah, so. If you like ‘plain’ beer-beers this one is, I think, worth trying. It would be an easy choice to bring along for the après on a Single Speed Sunday.
Penny’s Next Two Trail Days
Are you North Vancouver adjacent, keen to not just dig the trails but also dig the trails, and you’d like to go into the woods and learn from someone approachable with years of experience? Our friend Penny is a TAP builder for the NSMBA and over fall, winter, and spring we’ll be reminding the folks about the NSMBA Trail Day Schedule in general as well as specifically showcase Penny’s dig days.
If you can make it out, don’t forget to sign up in Eventbrite.
Penny’s next two days:
October 18th – 9am to 1pm – Pussyfoot & Penny Lane {Meet at the top of Hill Dr}.
October 31st – 9am to 1pm – Severed Dick {Meet at the top of Hill Dr}.
Climbmax
I know, I know, it’s Saturday. So much stuff going on! And no Dumpster Bear comic to boot {might add it tomorrow, if not I’ll save it for next week}. It’s good to be busy folks. Lots of MEAT going live this week, I hope, so chat soon.
Larry Talker Tunes: By Andrew
This week I’m point Model-T towards the latest Pearl Jam album, Dark Matter. It has the feeling of older guitar-heavy tracks but a mature sound that doesn’t quite hit like my favourite albums, Yield and Vitalogy, but has an authentic ‘this is where they are’ feel.
The album is solid end to end, but for folks looking for a taster start with React, Respond then the very next track Wreckage, and then jump to Got to Give.
If you’re interested in supporting the MEATengines community there are multiple ways to help out. You can submit an About a Single Speed or Bicycle Valentines piece, or fire me an e-mail if there’s some other ATB or mountain bicycling topic you’re passionate to write about. I’m interested. You can engage with a comment below, join the crew at r/MEATengines, or, if you have a couple spare bucks {ha!}, you can always buy me a coffee. Thank you.
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