It’s {hopefully} still Saturday when future-Andrew is typing this, but if this is the first SBTISAOAF that doesn’t go live until Sunday let’s all cut him some slack.
He had a big day Friday. BC Ferrying to Cumberland, riding the Queso Grandes. Oh, future-Andrew! If you’re reading this remember to stretch a bit and drink some water!
Hei Hei – The Old Way
The retro marketing and Kona’s latest XC-Trail rig, the G10 Hei Hei, both look awesome. Geo that most anyone will love most anywhere that a 120mm rig will rule, and they’ve ditched the flex stay arrangement {mixed feelings} to plush the ride up a bit.
One smart-spec complete bike with Ultimate suspension and the new T-Type SRAM 90 drivetrain and DT370 star-ratchet hubs. Plus a frame-only option for folks who want to go full deluxe. That’s a return to Kona past.
Fingers crossed that it’s the third most exciting Kona released this year. Really hoping we’ll see an aluminum version of the G10 Hei Hei {Deore M5130 model?!}. Also waiting on the next gen unit frame with two bottle holders on the down tube and a 66-degree head tube angle (static/rigid).
Devinci’s Inquest
I’ll just fire the link right here for folks who want to do read into it themselves, but I wanted to say I’m stoked about how open Devinci has been about why they recalled the Chainsaw and the process of improving and remaking replacement front ends.
I know it took longer than anyone wanted but they handled it better than many brands I’ve seen in a similar position.
Maybe not pretending it didn’t happen is a low bar, but I’m stoked about it, so there you go.
Schwalbe Rock Razor
Both Claire and I have been riding this under-appreciated tire from Schwalbe this week. With the Freeride BMX not clearing my 3.0” Ground Control and Claire’s 2.6“ Ground Control mounted on her multi-speed bike, it’s a case of running what we had at home. But this ‘compromise’ tire that mixes fast rolling with good sidewall support, cornering grip, and durability delivers a great trail experience that punches way above a first-glance appearance.
Mine is setup with a CushCore Trail insert. Her’s is setup with only air. And we’ve both had some fantastic moments willing traction out of steep, newly-loose-over-hard climbs.
We’ll likely replace both with 2.6” Specialized Ground Control tires when they’re dead. But with Schwalbe clearing out remaining stock, if you’re at all curious, I’d definitely recommend picking a Rock Razor up to try it.
Cranking Out Spares
My Race Face Turbine cranks have developed a creak I can’t solve without {hopefully, just} buying some parts. I didn’t want to believe it was true, but it is. I’m not ready to retire them yet, so I will sort out a fresh axle and hardware. Fingers crossed. In the meantime, I’ve had the chance to remind myself that it’s not always a bad thing to hang on to some well-used spare parts rather than buy-and-sell them for pennies on the dollar.
Case in point, these Atlas cranks are a similar vintage to my Turbines but have significantly fewer hours on them and don’t complain at all when I stand up and crank on them.
B-B-B {Better Be Bracketing}
Last Friday, I quickly swapped all the parts from my broken V2 frame to my Enigma so that I could ride one-speeds with The Clairebarian. It’s a me thing. There’s no way I was pedaling the multi-speed Arcturian while she was cranking #1FG.
The ride was excellent, but I felt, both climbing and descending, that I needed a bit more room. No problem, I have a beautiful 40mm NSBillet nickel-plated Overlord stem that makes a nice complement for the finish on the Freeride BMX.
I swapped nothing but the stem and was rewarded with more room and an otherwise WAY sketchier handling experience. It was a minor improvement and a major downgrade.
I didn’t have any 5mm spacers in my headset stack{silly goose} but I had to do something so I dropped the stem a full centimetre and everything was right with the world. 8mm forward, and then 10mm down.
DOT Deals
New or used, if you’re a fan in any way of SRAM’s Guide/G2 or Code brake platforms, then I have fantastic news for you. These fully serviceable/rebuildable, reliable, and easy-to-bleed stoppers are available for some impressive prices as the brand continues the transition to selling their own mineral oil.
Claire’s only had one set of disc brakes that weren‘t well-used hand-me-downs {thank you, friends} and those were an awful pair of ProMax stoppers that were leaking from the pistons within a year of a six-year-old using them to stop her 20” wheels on green-then-blue trails.
The rest of her off-road experience has been on rebuilt Guide/G2 brakes. Cheat the pistons, dial in the reach. Ride!
Anyway, G2 brakes with 180mm rotors have plenty of jam for a pre-teen and I took advantage of a rad deal to get her some fresh G2 stoppers. Ultimates. Which have ended up being polished silver.
So, in future, when photos of her bike show up here… yes, those are new brakes {the previous ones are going on another project).
Larry Talker Tunes For The Week
No submission from Model-T this week and I’m at a loss after logging a bunch of miles, so Penny has taken charge of assigning TW some musical homework.
Drezus and Dakota Bear are members of the indigenous hip hop movement and this single, Circles is both powerful and very catchy at the same time. Even if R&B isn’t generally your cuppa, give it a listen.
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