I figure I’ve got about 5 mins with my bike locked up this way before stuff starts disappearing.  It’s a decent lock so I’d probably still have the frame and hour later…just no wheels, lights, saddle/seatpost, bars/stem, etc…

I remember when purple anodized bike parts were cool and every mountain bike had bar ends.  Those days are over, but bar ends can still be useful if you need to get a few hand positions out of a flat bar on longer rides or to get some extra leverage when climbing.

I tried out a set of these rubber ergonomic bar ends from Pro on my first Surly 1×1 build.  They were comfy and I liked the low profile shape and matte finish…no need to scream “I remember the 80′s!”…=-)  I ended up taking them off and saving them for another build as the riser bar on my 1×1 tweaks the bar ends outwards in a way I didn’t like.  Not the bar end’s fault.

Specs:

• ergonomic rubber coated design
• fits any mountain bike bar
• length = 125mm
• weight = 146g per set
• manufacturer’s website
• MSRP ~$25cdn

What I liked:

• very comfy
• rubber coating provided excellent grip
• fit my bars easily
• stealth colour/finish was nice
• price was reasonable

What I didn’t like:

• the angle of the riser bar on my 1×1 didn’t work well together…these bar ends would be better on a bike with a flat bar.

I’ve been meaning to take a picture on this bridge over the Elbow River for a couple months now, but I’m usually firmly in my groove at this point in my commute and stopping the bike seems like a bad idea…=-)  Today a flat rear tire and a lack of tools/pump found me walking across the bridge and stopping for a photo was no big deal.

I’ve got enough pumps, tire levers and patch kits to sink a battleship, but I got lazy the last while and stopped carrying them for my short commute downtown.  I don’t get many flats, but I do get a few.  Not a big deal when you can comfortably walk home and the scenery ain’t bad.

On the other hand carrying a few items with you could at least give you the option to ride if you don’t have time to walk:

• pump…for high pressure tires like on my Surly 1×1 you need a high quality pump…the really low cost mini-pumps are fine for low pressure mountain bike tires, but forget about reaching 100psi+ with one.
• tire levers
• multi-tool
• patch kit and/or spare tube
• if you’ve got a bike with a bolt on rear wheel, like my Surly 1×1, you’ll want a tool to take off the axle nuts.

Man I’m really jonesing to pack my truck and head south to Moab and Sedona for some red rock desert biking action.  I can’t swing it this spring so I’ll have to be satisfied with photos from my 2009 trip.  If you haven’t hit these two mountain biking meccas do yourself a favour and make 2010 the year you do…=-)

2009 Sedona Photos

2009 Moab Photos

Well I guess I better get back to my taxes!….arrrggghhh!….=-(

I don’t normally rant on my blogs, but occasionally you gotta get something off your chest.  I’ve been commuting on my Surly 1×1 fixed gear downtown Calgary the last few weeks.  In the morning I ride north on 2nd and stop at the red light at 17th ave sw most of the time.  I seem to always have one or more commuters who show up at the light after me who just have to push past me and stop ahead of me or who blow past me just as the light turns green.

I’m not the fastest guy on two wheels by any stretch of my vivid imagination, but I think the fact I’m riding a fixie mountain bike with fenders,, platform pedals, a bell, 4 lights, street clothes and a beard gives these folks the impression I’m going to be slower than a slug.  If they sped off up the road I wouldn’t care, but it seems like I end up passing every single one of these “faster” riders in the first block after the lights.  This is a pain, it’s not as safe as staying single file and frankly I think it’s rude.

I actually lost it today and cursed a guy out who blew past me just as the light turned green.  If you are going try a lame maneuver like that you better represent….’cause when this 40+ year old blows past you 100m later on the fixie mountain bike with fenders, a bell, 4 lights, platform pedals and a beard you are going feel like a loser….and you’ll deserve it!

I realize not all commuter cyclists understand the basic rules of commuter racing so here is my version:

• no passing at lights or stop signs
• no passing when it’s not safe to do so
• no passing if you are about to turn off in the next block or so
• only pass people you can actually stay ahead of for the rest of your commute…you can’t know this by looking at them waiting at a light.

You’ll know it was a righteous pass if you never see the rider again.

You’ll know it was a lame pass if they overtake you in the next block and you don’t see them again.

Exceptions to the rules:

• if you see the same people each day and you come upon a markedly slower rider you know at a red light or stop sign it’s okay to pass them, but a polite “do you mind if I jumped ahead of you?” is appreciated.  They know they are slower than you and will probably be happier to have you in front of them.
• if somebody is always making lame passes on you feel free to return the favour especially if you can actually stay ahead of them after the stop sign.

If you are thinking I wish there was a way to score my commuter skillz….be happy there is!…=-)

It’s great having friends with power tools and some shop space when you need to modify stuff for a bike build.  I like the Surly Tug Nut on my 1×1 fixed gear bike, but the beer opener tab on top of the Tug Nut interferes with mounting a fender or rear rack.  That’s were a buddy with a grinder comes in real handy…=-)

Thanks Kurt!

Handlebars don’t get the respect they deserve…they are one of the key components of your bike and we basically ignore them until they fail!  Of course when you do have a problem with your bars you suddenly realize how damn important they are to you. If you ride off road you should be replacing your bars and stem every season or two depending on how hard you ride and how hard/often you crash.  I know bars and stems aren’t sexy like a new wheelset, but next time you are dropping into a steep downhill take a look at your bars and stem and decide how much fun a failure would be…?

My buddy Kurt was the test pilot on this review. He is more stylie than I am so the chance to bling up his Santa Cruz Nomad with this polished Chromag Fubars Acute riser bar was too good to miss.

Chromag Marketing Spew:

“The Acute weights in at only 265g yet it offers ample width at 710mm and is strong enough to encompass the real world meaning of “All”.  The Acute is ideal for the rider who wants something a little lighter but still needs a bar with real width and strength for demanding situations.”

Specs:

• Custom drawn, tapered 7075 alloy
• 700mm (27.6”) width
• 5 degree upsweep, 7 degree bend
• 25mm (‘”) rise
• 31.8 clamp
• 265 grams [actual weight measured at 269 grams]
• polished or gun metal gray

What Kurt liked:

• stunning finish and understated graphics
• polished finish allows components to slide on uber easy for fast control changes.
• centering marks made it easy to install bars fast
• rise and bend was comfy for the wrists
• width marks at ends to allow for fast accurate cutting of bars
• strong
• reasonably light

What Kurt didn’t like:

• he had to give them back!

Kurt’s test lasted a couple weeks so he couldn’t comment on long term durability, but based on the construction and quality of the finish both of us would be happy to use this bar on our all mountain rigs.

My Surly 1×1 has seen a few changes since I first built it up.  Most notably 700c wheels and fenders.  I’ve posted details of the upgrades here and photos here.