TransRockies.com

[Simon]

Every year I post one of these on the forum. It is a report on how my bike worked in the previous TR.



The TransRockies is a hard race. Hard on people and very hard on equipment. After 2004, 2005, and 2006, I went in knowing that the race would exact a pretty steep toll on my gear and I'd thought I would give a post-race assessment of how things worked. (Or didn't.) The relative lack of mud in 2007 resulted in a lot less destructive wear-and-tear on bikes and parts.



Frame - 2002 Giant NRS1 - This is the same frame I used in 2004, 2005, and 2006. (Next year it gets the belt buckle.) After the 2005 race I replaced the all of the pivot bushings. While the suspension on this frame does tend to "seize up" a bit when you are braking hard, the design of the rear triangle generally offers outstanding protection for your rear derailleur. (More on that later on.) This fact alone would tempt me to keep using this frame in future years. In addition, the geometry is very XC friendly. Great for climbing and it descends technical stuff better than I can. If only I could squeeze an extra 25mm of rear travel out of it.



Fork - 2004 Manitou Skareb - In 2004 I used a SID and while it was slightly lighter, I just felt that it seemed a bit skittish. With 100mm of travel, versus the SID's 80, the Skareb offered a much nicer ride and I felt much more confident in the technical rooty rocky stuff. (I still ride rock gardens with all the skill and grace of a potted plant.) In May 2007 I sent in the fork to be overhauled. Well, something weird happened at the service depot and when the fork came back I had brand new red lowers. The fork was smooth as butter and much nicer than in 2006.



Wheels ? Spinergy Xyclone Disc - In 2005 I used a set of custom wheels with XT Centrelock 32-hole hubs with a Mavic 717 Disc rim in front and a Velocity Razor rim in back. For 2006 I purchased a set of Spinergy Xyclone Disc wheels. With a weight savings of over 400 grams, and a pretty bombproof design, I was very happy with the wheels. I can?t recommend the Spinergys too highly, except for the bearings. In 2006 the front wheel did develop a slight bit of a side-to-side wobble. This was due to a bearing problem. After the 2007 I also had to replace the wheel bearings. (What?s up with those bearings?)



Tyres - Hutchinson Pythons 26" x 2" ? In 2004 I used IRC Mythos XC 26" x 2.1" front and back and for 2005, 2006 and 2007 I used Pythons. I ran at 50psi every day. The Pythons were great with the sole exception of a flat on day 4. I rode over a tree branch on the road into Whiteswan. A small twig, about the size of match stick, snapped off the trunk and punctured both the tyre and tube. That night I swapped the tyre with a spare Python that I brought along.



Tubes - Torelli Ultralight Presta- These tubes, at about 125 grams each, worked great. I don?t know if a heavier tube would have prevented the flat on day 4. One problem that occurred was related to the stem. CO2 inflators require a tight fit between the inflator and the stem. The Torelli tubes have threadless stems and so I couldn?t make a good seal with the CO2 inflator. Still, I?m sure that the lighter rotating weight saved me more time than the flat cost me. For 2007 I will bring spare tubes with threaded stems in my hydration pack.



Cranks and BB - Race Face Deus "X-Type" ? This was my third TR on these cranks and BB. The cranks and rings worked well. No chain suck and everything held up pretty well in the dust. However, the Deus BB seems to have a short lifespan. They come with a 1 year warrantee, but I managed to kill them after about 9 months.



Pedals - Crank Brother Original Eggbeaters - In the mud these pedals are unbeatable. I used the same pedals in 2005 and 2006 and they were terrific. The small size can make riding unclipped a bit of a challenge, but I have been using them for 4 years now and am used to them. If the small size is a concern, try the Candys. Same pedal with a small "cage" that offers a bit of a platform. The new adjustable cleats are a big improvement. The lack of side-to-side adjustment was a shortcoming of the Eggbeater system. (On a separate an unrelated note I managed to ?kill? an Eggbeater pedal last week. The bearing disintegrated and the pedal body fell off the spindle. This made for a long ride home. Before the TR I will overhaul the pedals to make sure the bearings are in good shape.)



Shifters ? Shimano XT SL M-750 - The original Deore shifters, used in 2004, died and in 2005 I replaced then with XT shifters. Smooth shifting and no problems at all.



Brakes ? Avid Juicy 7 ? The 2002 Giant NRS 1 came with Hayes Comp brakes. In 2004 I fell on the final day and broke the front lever. Well, after over 8,000 kms the brakes finally died. After speaking to a few people I decided to replace the brakes with Avid Juicys. A great decision. Amazing brakes with remarkable modulation and control. I went in with used pads and replaced the rear pads after day 4. One important note, replacing pads on the Avid brakes is much easier than on the Hayes.



Rear Derailleur ? Shimano XT 750 - I bought and installed a new RD for the 2005 race just as insurance. On the descent to Invermere I managed to whack it out of alignment, and bend my hanger. My shifting when to hell. Cory from United Cycle changed the hanger and straightened everything up. Given the protection that the NRS frame provides to the derailleur I thought that the shifting problems were due to cable stretch. (I?d installed new Aztec ?PowerLines? cables just before the race.)



Front Derailleur ? Shimano Deore - This was original equipment on the bike and worked just fine. This is the only component on the bike that has done all four of my TRs. This year I managed to kill it. Well, after 15,000 kms it was probably getting close to the end of its life. On the descent down the Crossing Creek rock garden and the trail below I managed to whack the derailleur pretty hard. It stopped shifting and I had to remove it for the last 5kms of road and come into Elkford as a 1X9. I managed to forget my spare and none of the bike shops had a low clamp derailleur that I could buy. Again, Cory managed to come to the rescue and beat the old Deore back into shape. I upgraded to an XTR and I?ll keep the old mangled Deore as a spare.



Cassette ? SRAM 990 11-34 - I started out with a nice fresh cassette. It worked out great.



Chain - SRAM 991 - These chains, with their connector link, make trailside repairs very easy. I had no compatibility problems with the mixed (SRAM, Shimano, Race Face) drive train. I did carry a couple of spare connector links, but had no chain problems at all. Dust does extract a heavy price on chains and although I keep my chain well lubed I had to replace it on day 4 (I?d only done 500 kms on it.)



Cables ? Aztec Powerlines - I started out with fresh cables, had a little bit of stretch that I resolved with the barrel adjusters, and didn?t have to replace the cables or housing during the race. I carried spare cables, but the Aztecs were fine. The Powerlines, with their inner sleeve, would have been great if we had mud. But we were mud free.



Saddle - Selle Italia TransAm Leather- I used the regular TransAm saddle in 2004 and 2005 and the TransAm Leather and the TransAm Flite in 2006. I managed to get saddle sores from the Flite so for 2006 I just used to the TransAm. I dosed myself with Chamois Butter every day and still managed to get one VERY minor saddle sore on my left sit bone. A little bit of Dr. Marty?s Magic Butt Cream did the trick and I was fine for the duration. .



Seatpost - Thomson Elite - These things are bombproof. Slightly heavier than the one I previously used, but I did not want to have any problems. In 2006 I did see at least two people who broke carbon seatposts. One person had a rather long 60 kms with no saddle.



Stem - Sette 120mm x 10 degree ? For the 2005 race I changed from the Titec stem (Same size) that the bike came with to save a bit of weight. I am a lightish person, 155 lbs, so I did not have any concerns about the strength. I have not had any cause for concern at all. The stem if one of those things that you don?t really think about.



Handle Bars ? Weyless CFX-1 ? I bought these flat carbon bars from Supergo, a US bike chain that has since closed. The bike came with a set of Titec Enduro XC handle bars. To save some weight and provide a bit of shock absorption I decided to try a carbon bar. The CFX-1 bars have the same rise geometry as the Titec bars, but are about 25 mm wider. The extra width gave me a bit more leverage on the descents.



Grips - ODI Rogue ? These are great, not too rough a texture, yet they offer plenty of grip. (I had used Yeti grips before and the raised lettering gave me hand cramps.) The lock-on clamps make replacement a breeze.



Bar Ends - Serfas Aluminium ? In 2004 I used the plastic frame version of the Serfas bar ends and I managed to break one in a tumble on day 3. In 2005 I used the aluminium version and they held up fine, but after the 2005 race my bike fell over and one of the bolts stripped the thread in the aluminium frame. For 2006 I had one aluminium and one plastic. For 2007 I used a matched pair of aluminium ends. (I could have used a set of aero bars on some of those long gravel road sections. I may use some longer bar ends next year as they give me a bit more of an aero position.)



Mud Guards - Forward Deflector Shield & Zefel Flamingo (Rear) - In the wet and mud the forward deflector shield is a godsend. With less mud splashing up on me, my legs stay drier and warmer. I brought, but didn?t use the Zefel Flmingo rear fender.



So, overall the hardware held up very well, but the weather and conditions certainly helped.



I'll do a separate follow up on my clothing and equipment.

[doug44]

Well some might think we're crazy, but this is the bike my partner and my self will be on this year.









It's the Specialized Sl Pro Carbon. It has 150mm travel front and rear. It has a dual crown fork. This is not a x-country bike by any stretch of the imagination.



But here's the good part, it weighs only 27 lbs. It has somewhat beefy tires too. I think we can shave off another 1 or 2 lbs by putting on some less aggressive rubber.



The front fork drops at the flick of a lever to lower the front end into climbing mode. Flip the lever back and the front end is raised to full height and travel for downhill. The rear air shock has several stages of partial lockout, similar to pro pedal on Fox air shocks.



I think this will be a great bike for the challenge. Well I guess the proof will be in the pudding. At any rate I know we will have fun!

[IamWhoIam]

How the hell do you carry something that shape??

Good luck on the hike a bike!

[beamers]

Good luck if TR 2008 is anything other than bone dry.



Have you seen just how little clearance there is between the front tyre and the fork brace?



You can get dust through it, but not mud - so you'll end up pushing it or carrying it. Well, you wont be able to carry it.
_________________
Mark

Veteran of TR 2002 and TR 2007

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29873838@N04/sets/72157607499101986/

[doug44]

Well like I say we're it it to have fun. My goal is to finish in a respectable time. About the hike a bike, do you guys think it will be that bad to carry?? I've hike a biked with my old enduro lots, not in an event like this mind you.



I chose this bike because it suits my style of riding, if I bought a full blown xc bike, the TR would probably be only thing I'd use it for. For the single tracks we ride around here it is the perfect bike for me, my old back needs 6" of travel .



Anyway I'm really looking forward to this event. Starting our training today. Cheers! I'm looking forward to meeting you all! See you out there.



Doug

[gerry]

Don't worry about the hike a bike. I've seen people make a pad for under the seat to carry their bike and it worked quite well.



Go have fun.

[Aaron]

Doug44, you and your partner will be rockin on those things!

I did TR last year on my Stumpy, and my partner was on a Norco Fluid 2. If you can get in front of the pavement pussies before the singletrack you'll eat it up and have a blast. The numerous water bars will be fun for you too.

Don't sweat the hike-a-bike, it's really not that bad.

[bangor_lfc]

hey doug44



I met a guy last year at the TR on a fully rigid!!! and guys with single speed!! i honestly thought they were nuts but they got round and enjoyed it. id far rather have what you'l be riding than what they had.



Dont worry bout the hike a bike. my frame (rush carbon) was awkward to pick up last year but i only had to lift it when doing a river crossing. the hike a bike you can push the bike.

[beamers]

Mark my words, you will curse that fork brace if it rains.



You might want to take some nicy skinny mud tyres just in case (like this 1.5 inch Conti med tyres). If it stays dry though you will be laughing.



I take back what I said though about getting it on your shoulder. I have an Orange Sub 3 which i carried on my back rather than my shoulder when the terrain dictated.
_________________
Mark

Veteran of TR 2002 and TR 2007

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29873838@N04/sets/72157607499101986/

[doug44]

I know what your saying about the fork crown. We are going to put on some skinny, less aggressive rubber. We're also going to train for hike a biking, we'll figure out the best way to carry them one way or another. Thanks for the comments.

Doug

[twa2w]

On my TR bike the shock ran under the top tube which was very uncomfortable due to the shock bracket. I put the nose of the seat over my shoulder with the seat post against my back. Worked great - i didn't need a pad as the shoulder straps on my pack cushioned it perfectly. I was able to run with the bike like this. Just make sure you hold it so the pedals don't jam aginast your legs. My bike tilted down to the front with the seat like this so my pedals were well behide me but I saw a few people that has issues with this.

Cheers

J