The (unofficial) Tour de Fat

Either I screwed up the alarm or just plain knocked it off. I dont know but by the time I got rolling out my door it was 6 o clock. Got 3/4 of the ways to the trailhead and realized i don't have the damn helmet again. I pulled the plug and just said its not meant to be. I am not taking another chance of popping the coconut. Plus time was too short now.

I have been lusting
Screenshot_20200807-115923_Chrome.jpg

spotbikes.com

Rocker SS

Rocker 27.5+ occupies that sweet spot halfway between fat bikes and cross-country bikes. Whatever the season or trail, the Rocker SS 27.5+ is mountain biking rock-n-roll boiled down to its purest essence.
spotbikes.com spotbikes.com
When I get this feeling its hard to resist. Giving my chain issues a gates belt is starting to sound real nice. This geo maybe a better transfer from ripmo to SS. Whereas the misfit and ripmo are so far apart. The one thing i am trying to figure out if 46x28 is close or the same as 32x20 in gear inches. Any gates belt folks out there? Pros and cons? Seems the issue was pulling the rear wheel which Spot seems to have figured out.

Its been mentioned and bears repeating.
I know many folks who use stephens park on the regular. There is a Trail Maintenance tomorrow 8:30 meeting at the quarry lot.
Stephens Trail Maintenance

8/8/20 Saturday 8:30am - 12:30pm

Working the trails below the Lime Kiln.

Meet at the the bottom of the white rumbly climb on Waterloo Valley Rd.. (I think google maps will get you there with this address.)

46 Waterloo Rd

Budd Lake, NJ 07828

https://www.google.com/maps/place/4...4d18e990!8m2!3d40.8896942!4d-74.7889066?hl=en
Anyone who wants to ride before meet at the same spot at 6am. I will put together a 2hr ride. I prefer to ride before then after.

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being 'round
Help me get my feet back on the ground
Won't you please, please help me, help me, help me, ooh✌
 
mattybfat said:
Either I screwed up the alarm or just plain knocked it off. I dont know but by the time I got rolling out my door it was 6 o clock. Got 3/4 of the ways to the trailhead and realized i don't have the damn helmet again. I pulled the plug and just said its not meant to be. I am not taking another chance of popping the coconut. Plus time was too short now.

I have been lusting
View attachment 136409
spotbikes.com

Rocker SS

Rocker 27.5+ occupies that sweet spot halfway between fat bikes and cross-country bikes. Whatever the season or trail, the Rocker SS 27.5+ is mountain biking rock-n-roll boiled down to its purest essence.
spotbikes.com spotbikes.com
When I get this feeling its hard to resist. Giving my chain issues a gates belt is starting to sound real nice. This geo maybe a better transfer from ripmo to SS. Whereas the misfit and ripmo are so far apart. The one thing i am trying to figure out if 46x28 is close or the same as 32x20 in gear inches. Any gates belt folks out there? Pros and cons? Seems the issue was pulling the rear wheel which Spot seems to have figured out.

Its been mentioned and bears repeating.
I know many folks who use stephens park on the regular. There is a Trail Maintenance tomorrow 8:30 meeting at the quarry lot.
Stephens Trail Maintenance

8/8/20 Saturday 8:30am - 12:30pm

Working the trails below the Lime Kiln.

Meet at the the bottom of the white rumbly climb on Waterloo Valley Rd.. (I think google maps will get you there with this address.)

46 Waterloo Rd

Budd Lake, NJ 07828

https://www.google.com/maps/place/4...4d18e990!8m2!3d40.8896942!4d-74.7889066?hl=en
Anyone who wants to ride before meet at the same spot at 6am. I will put together a 2hr ride. I prefer to ride before then after.

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being 'round
Help me get my feet back on the ground
Won't you please, please help me, help me, help me, ooh✌
Click to expand...
No expert in belt drivetrain but since you're still talking in terms of number of teeth chainring / number of teeth cog I would say that it is pretty close.
 
jmanic said:
Ratio is close: 46x28 = 1.64 (x27.5 = 45.1 gear inches)
32x20 = 1.6 (x29 = 46 gear inches)

I think I’m doing that right using nominal.
Click to expand...
I would not do 27.5+ so would that be same in 29? I don't do these numbers, I let you number guys figure it out for me.
 
mattybfat said:
I would not do 27.5+ so would that be same in 29? I don't do these numbers, I let you number guys figure it out for me.
Click to expand...
I was just coming here to say something on that-
Since 27.5+ is pretty close to 29” diameter tire wise and all, I think it simplifies to comparing gear ratio.

Though @Patrick blowing up my texts about radius and crank arm length.
D0F09C8A-C2C0-4A41-ABE6-F2D56D22E131.gif
 
jmanic said:
I was just coming here to say something on that-
Since 27.5+ is pretty close to 29” diameter tire wise and all, I think it simplifies to comparing gear ratio.

Though @Patrick blowing up my texts about radius and crank arm length.
View attachment 136426
Click to expand...

bikes are metric, so please abandon the imperial system for something less prejudicial.
realize it is called a statute mile because it was defined by law, not a physical phenomena.
and don't go all nautical mile (1 arc minute of latitude) cause that only works on earth (and the surface of water no less.)
although someone figured out the average, and put that into the standards.

1596829076873.png


when is ozark coming back?
 
mattybfat said:
You 2 are nerds, like 70s and 80s types. Real soild chance i would of stuffed both you in your locker. I say this lovingly of course 🙂
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I was a beanpole in the 80’s-
And a nerd (before it was cool)
Definite locker-stuffing material.
 
jmanic said:
I was a beanpole in the 80’s-
And a nerd (before it was cool)
Definite locker-stuffing material.
Click to expand...

i was 235 and bouncing at the college bar. all that is long gone.....i'm now locker stuffing material.
nerd wasn't cool until apollo 13. the movie, not the mission. or short circuit. i'm standing beside myself.
 
ebineezer said:
So why don’t you just throw an old shitty helmet in the trunk just for emergencies?
Click to expand...
Because thats thinking ahead, proactive. I am none of those. I run a very strong ADD program so flying by the seat of my pants is the Norm and no not that @Norm , he makes list and likes numbers.

I decided to stick to a Monday thru Friday blog as it gives me a break and a bit more to say come Monday. That of course means nothing much is going on, so unless something special happens on a weekend I will keep it with that format.

Saturday i was out the door by 5 30a hoping someone might show for 2 hr ride before TM. Well I guess I'm the dummy getting up on non work day to ride. It was one of those days, you know where you hit everything you dont want to hit. After the 3rd out loud fuck I turned it into just laughing at myself. It was completely comical as it lasted throughout the entire ride. I even went down hard, as the wheels washed out in some rare north jersey loam. Also still dealing with crank arm problems. I got my eno crank arms in a timely fashion but the shithead who I ordered the chainring from still hasn't even shipped yet according to tracking. I sent 2 emails already with no reply. What pisses me off is the most common review was fast shipping from this clown. I'm sure there's a good explanation, i am just mad because I don't want to deal with wonky crank arms anymore.

Back to Saturdays TM, what an impressive showing. It was nice to see so many peeps giving back. I was so on board with this session even though I heard a few complainers. We were smoothing out the new halley toe trail and the common complaint heard was this is mountain bikini g what the hell. Well its 2020 and this is where trail building is going. With everyone buying long travel trail bikes you need to bring purpose built system. Build a smooth transition to get up to the party which equals downhill runs. Thats exactly why this trail was built. After 3-5 repeats you will appreciate that smooth transition trail. I would say another session like Saturdays would make this even better in my opinion.
20200810_063913.jpg
20200810_063959.jpg
20200810_064024.jpg

So don't tell my Misfit that I been lusting a new SS, the old girl I dont think could handle it well. I moved away from carbon Spot for the moment. I started to to think more of a custom fit steel frame. As you all know I own a custom Seven road frame which I appreciate anytime I jump in. Its a shame I don't give it the love it deserves but I choose dirt over asphalt anyday of the week. So that being said I would love to go with a seven again here but that price is high. Research has me circling the Gunnar Ruffian. Its XO platinum, paragon sliders and made to order right here in the USA. Gunnars are straight out of the Waterford manufacturers and any astute steel cyclist knows its quality and detail. I am shooting for 100% USA built bike, as much USA components as possible like Paul's, White Industries, Proflie and Canecreek. You get the idea. This is just a planning process and subject to change 🙂
20200810_061005.jpg

Born in the U.S.A
I was born in the U.S.A
I was born in the U.S.A
Born in the U.S.A✌
 
mattybfat said:
Because thats thinking ahead, proactive. I am none of those. I run a very strong ADD program so flying by the seat of my pants is the Norm and no not that @Norm , he makes list and likes numbers.

I decided to stick to a Monday thru Friday blog as it gives me a break and a bit more to say come Monday. That of course means nothing much is going on, so unless something special happens on a weekend I will keep it with that format.

Saturday i was out the door by 5 30a hoping someone might show for 2 hr ride before TM. Well I guess I'm the dummy getting up on non work day to ride. It was one of those days, you know where you hit everything you dont want to hit. After the 3rd out loud fuck I turned it into just laughing at myself. It was completely comical as it lasted throughout the entire ride. I even went down hard, as the wheels washed out in some rare north jersey loam. Also still dealing with crank arm problems. I got my eno crank arms in a timely fashion but the shithead who I ordered the chainring from still hasn't even shipped yet according to tracking. I sent 2 emails already with no reply. What pisses me off is the most common review was fast shipping from this clown. I'm sure there's a good explanation, i am just mad because I don't want to deal with wonky crank arms anymore.

Back to Saturdays TM, what an impressive showing. It was nice to see so many peeps giving back. I was so on board with this session even though I heard a few complainers. We were smoothing out the new halley toe trail and the common complaint heard was this is mountain bikini g what the hell. Well its 2020 and this is where trail building is going. With everyone buying long travel trail bikes you need to bring purpose built system. Build a smooth transition to get up to the party which equals downhill runs. Thats exactly why this trail was built. After 3-5 repeats you will appreciate that smooth transition trail. I would say another session like Saturdays would make this even better in my opinion.
View attachment 136697View attachment 136698View attachment 136699
So don't tell my Misfit that I been lusting a new SS, the old girl I dont think could handle it well. I moved away from carbon Spot for the moment. I started to to think more of a custom fit steel frame. As you all know I own a custom Seven road frame which I appreciate anytime I jump in. Its a shame I don't give it the love it deserves but I choose dirt over asphalt anyday of the week. So that being said I would love to go with a seven again here but that price is high. Research has me circling the Gunnar Ruffian. Its XO platinum, paragon sliders and made to order right here in the USA. Gunnars are straight out of the Waterford manufacturers and any astute steel cyclist knows its quality and detail. I am shooting for 100% USA built bike, as much USA components as possible like Paul's, White Industries, Proflie and Canecreek. You get the idea. This is just a planning process and subject to change 🙂
View attachment 136700
Born in the U.S.A
I was born in the U.S.A
I was born in the U.S.A
Born in the U.S.A✌
Click to expand...

Take a look at the 2021 Kona Honzo ST...I've been dead set on getting a second El Mar as a hardtail trail bike but the new Honzo ST checks a lot of boxes and can be setup as SS due to sliders in the back. The frame is about $600...I mentioned buying a new bike to the wife and all I've got in return was a generic 'may not be a good idea before the end of the year before we know how this crazy stuff ends up' which to me sounded like a resounding "Yes, go ahead'.
 
When we walked down the lower section to leave I was shocked at all the rocks left behind. It was weird after all the buffing we'd done above.
 
Well of course after bitching about the chainring yesterday it shows up. Sorry dude.
20200810_195046.jpg

So nice to have a non issue ride, those middleburns were sweet and lasted me for 13 years of some of the biggest journeys on a bike. By the end they were toast. These eno's are equally sweet, just plain art for a bike component. Also swapped to a new cockpit set up. Gave the new grips a run without gloves. Wasn't 100% slip free but I doubt anything with todays conditions would be better.

Even at 5 30a today it was swampy, normally its pretty nice but this morning the air was heavy. I was thinking about the question BKXC got on which is worst thin air or humid air. His response was with thin air you can stop and recover where as the thick air even stopping won't help you recover. What i recall even more from what he said that it can mess with your head. The encouraging statement was if you can ride in this humidity then you can ride anywhere. I take his word as facts as he has traveled to more locations around the world.
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I punched in a solid 12 miles this morning but paid the price as breakfast for the skeeters, biting flies and the overly abundant amount of spiders I collect. One thing the higher the humidity the more biting bugs. Even ollie was slogging 1/2 way through this ride. Still just enough water available, but some of it even she won't drink.
20200811_065213.jpg

So its looking looking like the next couple weekends jason and I are gonna head to highlands and thunder. After that I want to take a long weekend with Patty to killington, which is where we met mtbing 24 years ago.
Then a September weekend down to cape may. Then at the end of September I'm supposed to shoot out Colorado and meet up with Rich for some annual mountain pass ride into Winter Park. Of course once in Winter Park I must spend some time doing laps at the bike parks. I looked over the trail forks map in the area and there maybe a chance I dont ever return. As @Norm posted somewhere after his Vermont trip, he doesn't really know why he live in this state. I always agree everytime i ride well managed trail systems outside this state. It took NY a while to adopt mountain biking with open arms, but what your seeing now is some really solid trail building. Future outside of NJ is looking bright. I am hopeful to take a October or November trip down south. I havent been to west Virginia in a while and also would love to check out the Roanoke trails. Where's your next MTB expedition?
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Walk me out in the mornin' dew my honey
Walk me out in the mornin' dew today
I can't walk you out in the mornin' dew my honey
I can't walk you out in the mornin' dew today✌
 
mattybfat said:
Where's your next MTB expedition?
Click to expand...

We have Thunder on the radar. I really want to get to Highland but we have been to NH twice this year and it's a long drive. I don't have an answer for that question but I'm sure I'll keep you posted.

Let me tell you that returning to this heat is dreadful.
 
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