It's Purple but ......

Second ride

Spent a lot of time in mudholes today. Many days of rain here and the deep woods singletrack is VERY wet. Riding these trails when they are wet is NOT going to hurt them, you'd have to be from Maine to understand the topography here and this is a dedicated mtb riding area. I would have walked around the low spots with other bikes but I just rode through like a Jeep. Very impressive flotation difference with these wheels and tires and virtually impossible to spin them out. I realize this is not a Surly frame but the forum is "sorta" for snow and beach bikes as well (ain't it?).

totally cool

I've been on my Pug now for almost a month now. I aint got a car for over a year and the Pug is my daily do everything bike. I even take it on the road rides with our local Velo Club. Right now I've about got the PSI dialed for my dirt/pave combo use. Kind-a-soft on the pave, but good on the dirt. the other day we had some pretty good rain here, and i got a good solid 2hrs in the wet. I got to say i really dig that Phattie experience. here there is the Pine forest that produces lots of debris on the roads, and the Endo's just eat that kind of stuff up. On the pave, i was enjoying 44x12t totally spun out (around 40mph; no speedo on the bike) on some nice tight pave twisty descents. I've had some experience with Moto bikes, and those Endo's with those big rotors was a bicycle experience i've never had. Fast power slides using braking modulation and even sliding out of the exits under power was beyond freaking cool. i think its something about those big gyros that let you get a more consistant feed back. Obvsiously more rubber. In the dirt I'm getting use to it. The following day i had the opportunity to blow by 2 guys whom where on a NRS and a Blur. I assume they werent really going too hard, but when i had seen them up ahead, i put it into that 44x12t and started winding up the speed. again a good solid 40mph on double track, with lots of small ruts, forest debris, and rocks, as they were picking their line, i just blew past them, gave the peace sign, and timed it just right to get in a way cool bunny hop off a rise in the double track. As i was in the air, i had decided to just keep pedaling, Fred Flinstone style! And whoaa! when those Phatties hit the ground with all that intertia, it was a serious rooster tail and kick in the pants! i couldnt believe it, and had felt bad cuz i wondered if any debris had spit back at them. I was actually very surprised with that result.
Immediately after as the double track opened up until i couldnt spin out anymore gear, the last little rise gave opportunity for one last nice long bunnyhop, a fast lefty sweeper where you can 2wheel drift with the power to the pedals, and then hard onto the brakes, then into a very tight single track, entrance to the right. the single track is super wet, running water, and LOTS of exposed roots, etc. I wasnt ridding as hard as i could and figured that those guys would eventually catch up, and in some sections i actually slowed WAY down to listen if they were near by. No luck.
it wasnt until i had later settled into a rhythm of doing laps on this little loop that i like, that is mostly double track, with lots of climbing, maybe a 2 mile loop, and there at the top of a muddy climb, that no one could climb that day, there i was with my iPod blasting Modest Mouse, Never ending math equation, climbing this section, in my own world, grooving out, and these guys were just starring! Some freak on a bike with HUGE tyres clay mud flyin off the back, tatts and all.

Update on Endomorphs / Remolinos for Wildfire

Never underestimate an Irishman with a box cutter, dremel and a porta Power.

The front tire was np. A few adjustments to the Vicious Cycles fork with the Porta Power in the right places and "screee clunk" plenty of clearance. The rear tire was a little more of a challenge. There was about about a quarter inch clearance on the non drive side but the drive side was an eighth inch sidewall clearance and the lugs were rubbing. I used the box cutter to cut off the lugs on the drive side and the Dremel with a sanding barrel to smooth the shoulder up. Now there is clearance and the FD clears in the granny gear too. Yeah, it's tight but for low speed stuff I don't think I'll have a major issue with it. MMMmmmm, sweet. Removed the front Deore disk (what crap) and I'm going to replace the rear with a 180 Avid cable. Before the tire change the bike weighed 39 lbs. With the much larger Endos it weighs 35 lbs. Whadda deal.

I'm guessing I'll have more flotation in the snow this year.