And given the generation of bikes that dominated the scene two-three years ago, I still agree with my assessment. They were (mostly) an assortment of heavy, sort of homely, steel things that looked like they were welded up in somebody's basement. I'm most emphatically *not* talking about the majority of the craftsman-built bikes, many of which are works of art on wheels. I'm talking about some/most of the pure production bikes. Steel. Mid tier components. Odd offset geometry to accommodate wide wheels. Homely looking forks, Functional, but homely. Not interested. Not me. No way... Rather snowshoe...
Last year, I started to see the light. Lots more carbon and Ti options, Sexier production designs, more options for racks and gear - or not. And the advent of the 10x42t, single chainring setup. OK, this is back country skiing, still gotta work your butt off going uphill, but the downhill should be a screamer.
And - I get it. If I do this right, I will wind up with a bike that can go almost anywhere I'd want to, get there in a reasonable amount of time, and do it with a certain amount of style. A bike that's worthy of a trip to the single track or lift served area, and still capable of doing snow covered trails in the winter. I'm looking forward to a new adventure, and a new reason to get off the road. It'll be slightly slower than my mountain bike, and a lot slower than my gravel bike, but I suspect my yet to be built bike will be more comfortable than most bikes I have, and should be fun. Of course, I'll have to buy a pair of winter riding boots. It's going to mean a lot of re-education about parts, and a few new tools, I'm sure.
And while I can do lots of testing and research on parts, but let's make this a little more fun - let's make this a crowdsourced project. Here's how it will work:
I'll put out a 'poll' for opinions and ideas on a couple of parts each week. Please feel free to provide your favorite component for the category - and why. I'll publish the results, and what I plan to do. If I like the opinions and they fit with my design goal, I may very well go with them. If not, I'll try to explain why I go a different direction as well.
Vendors are encouraged to submit their ideas/components, provide parts for review. I'll be happy to look at almost anything as long as it makes sense, and fits within my project goals. And I'll try to be honest about my opinions, regardless of whether a component is provided by a supplier at no/reduced charge, or I pay full retail. And if I like it but it wouldn't fit in my plans, I'll still give it an honest review and return it.
I'll put up a poll widget soon. In the meantime, use the 'contact me' area down below to provide your feedback. Oh yeah, I will not [ever] use your contact info to spam you with 'puppies for sale', sell your info, or anything else. It's just a contact. If I email you back, it's because I want to discuss something. You can tell me to buzz off it you don't want to continue the discussion.
Want to play? Here's the first design goal and a question:
Design goal - utilize Gate Carbon instead of a chain. Yeah, that does make a statement. I'll expound upon my reasoning in the next post in this series. In the meantime, what frame should I build around?
~marsh
Last year, I started to see the light. Lots more carbon and Ti options, Sexier production designs, more options for racks and gear - or not. And the advent of the 10x42t, single chainring setup. OK, this is back country skiing, still gotta work your butt off going uphill, but the downhill should be a screamer.
And - I get it. If I do this right, I will wind up with a bike that can go almost anywhere I'd want to, get there in a reasonable amount of time, and do it with a certain amount of style. A bike that's worthy of a trip to the single track or lift served area, and still capable of doing snow covered trails in the winter. I'm looking forward to a new adventure, and a new reason to get off the road. It'll be slightly slower than my mountain bike, and a lot slower than my gravel bike, but I suspect my yet to be built bike will be more comfortable than most bikes I have, and should be fun. Of course, I'll have to buy a pair of winter riding boots. It's going to mean a lot of re-education about parts, and a few new tools, I'm sure.
And while I can do lots of testing and research on parts, but let's make this a little more fun - let's make this a crowdsourced project. Here's how it will work:
I'll put out a 'poll' for opinions and ideas on a couple of parts each week. Please feel free to provide your favorite component for the category - and why. I'll publish the results, and what I plan to do. If I like the opinions and they fit with my design goal, I may very well go with them. If not, I'll try to explain why I go a different direction as well.
Vendors are encouraged to submit their ideas/components, provide parts for review. I'll be happy to look at almost anything as long as it makes sense, and fits within my project goals. And I'll try to be honest about my opinions, regardless of whether a component is provided by a supplier at no/reduced charge, or I pay full retail. And if I like it but it wouldn't fit in my plans, I'll still give it an honest review and return it.
I'll put up a poll widget soon. In the meantime, use the 'contact me' area down below to provide your feedback. Oh yeah, I will not [ever] use your contact info to spam you with 'puppies for sale', sell your info, or anything else. It's just a contact. If I email you back, it's because I want to discuss something. You can tell me to buzz off it you don't want to continue the discussion.
Want to play? Here's the first design goal and a question:
Design goal - utilize Gate Carbon instead of a chain. Yeah, that does make a statement. I'll expound upon my reasoning in the next post in this series. In the meantime, what frame should I build around?
~marsh
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