It was beyond beautiful in the forest today for Fromme Friday. Fresh snow made its presence known from about the 2/3rds mark of the No Quarter Climb. 7th Secret was covered but for a few rock-armoured sections where the always-wet had washed away the white stuff. But still completely rideable.
I was wearing a worn out, short-sleeved Merino baselayer, threadbare superlight and holey Merino long sleeve, and a Merino hooded-vest that used to be a sweater until the arms disintegrated. Pair that with a pair of cut-off 3/4 MEC Mochileros and it’s basically uniform dressing for a ride, work, or life.
The local weather this week has been a wild roller coaster ride. Unpredictable. We saw five-minute weather windows that included stunning sunshine, hammering hail, and ravaging rain. Claire and I made sure to have our super-light emotional support jackets – ESJs – and a few pairs of gloves in our packs but at some point costume changes become the whole event so it’s better to just go on pedaling.
The Click
My number one highlight of the week was watching Claire truly click with her Samurai. Not that she hasn’t been enjoying this bike for months now, but first on Monday and then on Thursday that magic happened where she was suddenly riding smoother, faster, more confidently, and more controlled.
The conditions weren’t particularly friendly. She’s been tired after school. And we had a few weeks where we weren’t riding much but, what more can I really say than, wow! Cleaning multiple technical uphill moves she’s never made. Riding with more momentum and finding another level of smooth.
And the absolute best part was, The Clairebarian could also tell it was special. It’s the first time that she’s taken note of her own progression in real time. She was stoked and, at risk of over-using the ‘S’ word here at SBTISAOAF, I was stoked as a result.
Outlier Pendulum Pedal Update
I was sad to remove the Pendulum pedals from Steve’s {Ruined} Talbot. As I’ve said previously, Outlier accidentally created the greatest flat pedal for road usage. Ever. In fact, I can imagine a lightweight road-specific nylon {plastic} version with short inmoulded studs instead of threaded pins.
My reason for pulling the Pendulums was to install fresh bearings. Fresh oil-filled bearings that are so smooth that the pedals, with the same Calgary-machined bodies, should now self-right {pins up} every time I take my foot off. I love mountain biking on the Pendulums, but finding myself standing on the wrong side of the pedal, up in the air on an elevated wooden structure, two too many times is what led me to trying them on the Talbot to begin with.
{I published my first look at the Outlier Void and Pendulum pedals in November ’24.}
With new bearings pressed in, the change in performance is miraculous. All centreless comfort advantages of the void/Void, the ride advantages of the pedal body being dropped relative to the pedal axle, and the platforms self-right every time. In a couple of rides with many foot-off-pedal moments I have yet to find myself standing on the wrong side of the Outliers.
More importantly, I have yet to find myself thinking about what side of the Pendulum pedals I’m standing on or worse, having to physically flip them on the go. It’s been pins-up every time. And, as long as I’m standing on the side with pins, I’m all-in on having a smooth underside that glides instead of grabs when cruising over rocks, roots, etc.
And talk about wowing your friends. The lack of friction when I spin the pedal bodies is incredible. This is a combination of three factors. The new oil-filled bearings, a super precise spacer between the bearings, and a tight-enough but not full-strength-cranked pedal installation.
{Outlier says to torque them to 30-35NM. Do not overtighten.}
Now, the many dollar question is how long the bearings last. Not in terms of spinning up nicely but in terms of this magic friction-free performance where the platforms re-position themselves perfectly. That’s not a question I can answer yet, but single-speeding ruins everything around me, so typically I eat through pedal guts at a faster rate than most folks I know.
I will absolutely follow up on my follow up before they’re due for another change. This is a job, I’ll note, that does benefit from a blind puller and a press, but can be accomplished in under ten minutes for both sides, assuming all the tools are on hand and ready to.
Project Kleversack Update
I dislike hip packs but not the idea of hip packs. This comes down to simple body geometry. I, generally, have too much lunch-muscle and not enough hips to pull the gear belt off without overtightening the strap. But, with Kleversack having a little more surface area, and adjustable wings to give the pack more of a rounded shape, and with me trying to put together review series about it, here we are.
I can pack light, especially for one-speed rides. Or, at least relatively light for someone who is generally dragging along the kitchen sink. My tool kit is dialed. My first aid kit is compact. My main luxury on the trail is extra gloves and they aren’t heavy.
In turns out, thanks to lots of mounting points, that my beloved weatherproof HMPL cellphone case even straps on securely such that I can pull out my phone with one hand incase of an emergency…
…need to write some notes so I can refocus my brain on actually riding my bike instead of crafting sections of SBTISAOAF while navigating janky North Shore trails.
I wrote a bunch more about Project Kleversack as part of a SBTISAOAF back in December. The idea is simple. Have a bunch of folks try out the pack, provide notes, and then assemble that into a group-think review of sorts. The beauty of a bag is it’s one size fits all {unlike say, trying to group-review shoes} and there are no safety concerns {unlike say, passing a handlebar around}.
From day dot, Claire loved the highly-weather-resistant* roll-top inner stuff sack with the ability to strap her wet jacket securely without moisturizing the rest of her kit. I love that, unlike her smaller hip pack, this setup makes her self sufficient for layers and snacks.
*{We’re not quite ready to call it weatherproof but even on the dampest days she’s yet to have any moisture make it into the roll-top inner.}
Anywho, thanks to Model-T {thanks Model-T} we have two of these packs. One with shortened straps {thank you Gramma} that Claire uses every ride and one that’s available for my ongoing project.
My two cents? It’s comfortable enough that I’m going to wear it for a few more rides. I think MEC should offer a Klevercase add-on for phones and would love to see the pack strap modification be an in-house option because they’re really long {to accommodate everyone}. If it was on me, the logo would be 30-40% smaller.
I love the combination of the magnetic roll-top and the top flap. The two-stage waist belt adjustment is helpful for those of us who maybe don’t fit hip packs fantastically.
100% Brisker Gloves
Did you know that Youth XL and Women’s Small 100% Brisker gloves are the same size? This is the kind of information that suddenly becomes relevant when your groms fall-winter gloves fit perfectly one day and are essentially unwearable the next.
One advantage that south-western BC bike shops have in this event is that the Canadian distributor, Orange Sport Supply, is local. Plus, the folks there also love Briskers (so they always have inventory). And, they’re as efficient as… so an emergency next-day re-gloving is possible. Say you lose them, or wear them out, or simply grow out of them overnight.
I’m not going to punch too many keys over the Briskers here, having written about them plenty in the past. They’re a great value for a glove that balances warmth with lever-feeling as well as anything for most days of our wet-coast winters. I will note that we do not use the Hyrdomatic version {I don’t like them, nor does anyone I know who has tried them}, just the basic Brisker MTB/Moto glove.
Sagma 3D Saddle
I swear this isn’t just me being lazy. I know that I just wrote about the new BikeYoke Sagma 3D saddle this week. In addition to being very comfortable {for me}, I’m really stoked about how grippy it is in the wet. I have never cared about the relative friction of my saddle surface, but, particularly when climbing up technical sections, it makes a real difference to putting all my effort into turning my pedals as opposed to balancing on my perch.
These are not inexpensive seats, especially as I’ll double down in recommending the suspension version over the standard-rail ‘LITE’ model, but I also think that for those who fit them, which isn’t everyone, a test ride would seal the deal. If you have a good relationship with your local shop, ask them about bringing in a pair of Sagma 3D saddles (130mm & 142mm) to demo. The old way (demo) is the best way to sell saddles that are different and expensive.
ODI Longneck Grips
My guess is that when it comes re-up time, there’s not a shop in Canada with more pairs of iridescent purple ODI Soft X-Longneck grips on their hook than I stock here at MEATengines HQ. I never say no to testing an interesting handlebar, and I’m always prepared to glue {clear spray paint} and safety wire a pair of my go-to grips.
Anyway, I’m down to my last pair and due to order a few more and at the price I always try to have a spare pair for Claire (blue) and Nina (green) kicking around as well since shops all seem to only stock lock-ons these days.
There are plenty of good, and great, push-on grips on the market. But if you’re overwhelmed by choice and looking for somewhere to start, and prefer a thinner grip, the soft compound version of the Longneck is brilliant. {Thicker grips? I love the Chromag Wax.}
And that’s a wrap on SBTISAOAF for March 14th. As I’m typing these last few words it is the morning of March 15th, but that’s how it goes sometimes {read: most of the time}. Then I’m going to proofread, add some photos, and it’ll be live.
Cheerios for now,
Larry Talker Tunes for the Week
Claire pointed out to me the other day that Larry Talker Tunes is, or at least, was supposed to be homework for Terry Walker, so that he could get caught up on all the amazing music that has come out in the last decade. Not that Model-T hasn’t been sharing some awesome tuneage released in the last ten years, including this week’s hit of Jim Cuddy from 2024, it’s just that The Clairebarian wants to make certain he’s enjoying a balanced musical diet.
Anywho, it turns out that Claire specifically wants to be sure that Larry Walker has had the opportunity to fully appreciate her current favourite song. It turns out that it’s actually older than she is but, as Terry Walker noted last week, when it comes to great music rules are made to be broken. So TW, for your appreciation, from 2013’s Prism, here is Katy Perry’s ROAR.
{Drewitors note: TW, Claire is looking forward to hearing how much you loved it.}
Take it away Terry Walker:
In the mood for some Canadiana and Jim Cuddy fits the mood and the Canadiana perfectly.
All The World Fades Away (Jim Cuddy 2024)
A great songwriter stretching all the way back to his Blue Rodeo days, this new album gets personal. Great stories with great Blues/Roots guitar riffs, you’ll find all the tracks relatable. Standout tracks:
– The All the World Fades Away (the title track)
– Impossible (written for Jill Daum, wife of deceased John Mann from “Canadiana” band – Spirit of the West).
–Learn to Live Alone
–You Belong
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