2014 Salsa Cycles Carbon Beragrease (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

The annual dealer only show held at Quality Bicycle Products, a North American based distributor, just concluded and by far and away the bombshell from this event has to be the preview of Salsa Cycles carbon fiber frame and fork Beargrease fat bike model. The entire remaining bits and pieces from the weekend stacked together would not eclipse what was shown privately to dealers on Friday evening before the “mini-trade show” proper started Saturday.

Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

The wheels have through axles front and rear, suggesting special hubs, since the rear spacing is based on the 170mm spec and front is based on a 135mm fat bike standard. Exact specs are not available yet, but we expect to see those available later this summer. And yes- the weight. Previous Salsa fat bikes ranged anywhere from 37lbs, (Mukluk 3), to 34lbs, (Mukluk 2), to the 2013 Beargrease which was an astounding 28lbs out of the box. Now with the promise of a carbon frame and fork, Salsa has built the pre-production bike you see here to weigh in at 24lbs, ready to ride. While I was told this wasn’t exact spec, the final spec is said to be right at 24lbs as well.

And that spec is….? Well, while we do not know everything, we do know, and can talk about the XX-1 fat bike crank, which will appear on one of two spec levels of this frame and fork. Yes- the premier 1X solution for trail bikes is going to be available on the Carbon Beargrease. Finally, the starting price for the second tier Carbon Beargrease is predicted to be about $500.00 above the 2013 Beargrease’s. The premier XX-1 spec’ed iteration will be more, but we have no estimate on that at this point. We will not have the final specs, graphic look, or full tech details for awhile, but this bike, due out in the Fall of this year, will be a much talked about rig, and should find a home not only on snow, as shown, but as a year round alternative hard tail mountain bike.

More from Frostbike 2013 tomorrow…

NOTE: Images and details for this report were provided by Salsa Cycles.

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

SRAM Tech document that surfaced last year

The crank sets are being made by SRAM in double ring versions only. 10 speed, 36T and 22T equipped doubles that are said to eliminate “most tire to chain rub found on fat bikes“. We take this to mean that perhaps the spider has been positioned in a bit more of an outboard manner to not only get the better chain clearance, but to give better chain line with both rings. We suspect the chain clearance bonus was secondary. SRAM also claims lighter weight “than most current fat bike crank offerings“, which considering the current offerings, is not saying much. Still, fat bike aficionados should be pleased with the promise of more, quality selections for fat bike use.

The X-9 level offering.

The X-5 level offering

Typically SRAM, (or any of the larger component makers), doesn’t tool up and produce products for the aftermarket only. Yes- we are thinking some company, or group of companies, is going to introduce fat bikes in their line up for 2014. While it is true that Salsa Cycles or Surly Bikes will likely make use of these components and will account for some of the production, we do not feel they are the only ones behind this. All we can say now for sure is that we’ve heard rumors, and well…….time will tell if we are right, or if we are wrong.

At any rate, this development gives the fat bike a stamp of acknowledgement, (at least), by the industry, and signals that we are likely to see more fat bike developments coming in the near future.

NOTE: This report was put together with information and images provided by SRAM. We thank SRAM for sharing with us and the readers of TNI.

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

I hope you enjoy these opinion pieces. Thanks for reading Twenty Nine Inches, and we all wish you a Happy New Year.

2012- Looking In The Rearview Mirror- by Guitar Ted

Image by Sonya Looney

Looking back at the year gone by now I have seen a lot of things that have impacted my mind as being significant, not the least of which was changing the look of this very site earlier in the year. A change which was a year or more in the, (off and on), making. Then there was the launch of the German Twenty Nine Inches site, (see it here). So, just from a technical, media standpoint, 2012 was a sea change for c_g, Grannygear, and myself.

Along with that I have noticed that the entire perspective on these mountain bikes we focus on has changed dramatically. 29″ers are still here and as strong as ever. As you read in c_g’s piece, even in Europe 29″ers are now more mainstream and accepted. However, with the 29″er’s proliferation, and therefore market saturation, companies are looking for “the next big deal” in cycling. Something to keep the ball rolling, as it were, and for some companies, a chance to cash in on the next trend because they missed the boat on 29″ers.

27.5- The Next Big Thing?

With the new landscape in mountain biking, we here at Twenty Nine Inches have batted around ideas on how we should change along with things. We added accessory reviews, and we have dabbled into the news of 27.5 inch wheeled bikes, (once again), while trying to keep our main focus on 29 inch wheels. It has been a challenging and exciting year here for sure. Now, at the end of another year, we will be looking at even more tweaks in the months to come regarding this site and how we do things.

Shadow Plus: Game changer.

Cube Stereo: The limits of 29"er tech?

Another thing I was interested in was what the limits of 29″er technology might be. Bikes like Cube’s Stereo 29 are few and far between. Carbon fiber, full suspension, and 140mm travel from front to rear. Talking with several companies, it seems that the realities of the limitations of the size of these wagon wheels is reached at 140mm of travel. Not that it can not, or should not be pursued, because as we have seen from c_g’s reports on the Stereo, the limits of 29″er technology can be exhilarating. However; it also seems to point to the line of demarcation set by manufacturers, a line which when crossed over will lead to the coming wave of 27.5″ers.

Diamondback's Mason: Slack up front, short out back.

Finally, the new-ish trend of the “All Mountain Hardtail 29″er” is something I think is going to catch a lot of folks attention. Diamondback’s Mason hard tail is on test with me now and has shown me, (once again), that there are still more surprises in twenty nine inch wheels for those that have not ridden such a bike. The numbers for these bikes may not make sense for many riders on the surface of things, but given the chance to ride such a bike, I think we’ll be seeing these rigs in more places than British Columbia.

What will the future bring? Who knows? When I first heard about 29 inch wheels in 2000, you couldn’t see one unless you were aware of the small internet forums devoted to the upstart wheel size. I got a hold of my first one in 2003, just, (almost), ten years ago now. Then these bikes were oddities that were not expected to stick around by most in the cycling industry. Now, an entrenched category of mountain biking, 29″ers are old hat. Many young folk may not even know 26 inch wheeled bikes were the only choice in mountain biking for many years.

A New Year and with it new changes. It should prove to be another exciting, challenging, and fun year for us, and we hope for you readers as well. Thank you for making Twenty Nine Inches a stop on your internet cruising, and we hope our work here is of some value to you. As always, our goal is to help you achieve a higher level of fun and to help you enjoy the benefits from cycling, which we believe is not only a healthy habit for you, but for our environment as well. Whatever you choose to ride, we wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year and miles of smiles.

Guitar Ted

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

I hope you enjoy these opinion pieces. Thanks for reading Twenty Nine Inches, and we all wish you a Happy New Year.

2012- Looking In The Rearview Mirror-by Grannygear

Some things change…some things stay the same.

Looking back over 2012, it was a year when the 29″er world ‘settled’ a bit as far as innovation and new things. In 2010/2011 companies could not bring big wheels to market fast enough as the big-wheeled bandwagon had passed some key players by. 2012 was a bit muted compared to this frenzied rush to market share, and except for the deluge of carbon 29″er hard tails, many being me-too China Specials, there was not a great deal of buzz out there for 29″er fans. 2013 looks to be more of the same as 27.5 is poised to suck up the lion’s share of money and marketing focus moving towards 2014. And that, so it seems, is the life breath of the cycling industry. “What is new?” and “when can I buy it?“. Things change and that drives the economy and satiates our consumer need and sometimes even makes cycling better in the process. Sometimes, but not always.

And I cannot remember a time when cycling was so niche. 700c wheels can be, just in a dirt sense…never mind road stuff…Monster Cross, Gravel, Cyclocross, Adventure Touring, 29″ers, and whatever the new Surly Krampus is. Whew! Fat bikes are growing like acne on a 15 year old and there is XC, Trail, AM, DH, AM hard tail, endurance, single speed, and the list goes on. Lots of slices in that pie.

But.

Some things stay the same. For instance – Simplicity. Value. Fun.

One thing that has grown out of the popularity of those big wheels is a near resurrection of simple bikes for off road use. Consider the hard tail. Before 29″ers, I knew no one that rode a hard tail anymore unless they were a kid, a hard core XC racer boy, or broke. Everyone else rode FS cuz 26″ hard tails are pretty sucky unless you have an iron spine or are a trail acrobat. Single speeds? Ummm…sure if you had a beach cruiser. Steel frames? Wait, let me think a minute…

29″ers do more with less. And that big rolling doughnut of grace has made a simple bike fun again for more people. A steel 29″er hard tail, of which there are many to choose from, is a pretty sweet ride and Ti? Well, dreams are made of such things. Single speeds and big wheels are a perfect match. The craftsman who stitches together an off road capable frame just for you is still here and quite possibly thriving, due mostly, I would say, to the 29″ wheel.

As a bike reviewer and typical bike nut, I have to be, and am willingly so, on the fast train to what is new and next. The readers expect it. So, carbon this or that, new drive train upgrades, smart forks and shocks and all that techno-weenie stuff is fun and has elevated the modern mountain bike to a level of performance (and cost) that is amazing. But often I am struck by how one can have such a good time on a simple bike with high quality, well made components and a basic approach to getting out there by bicycle.

And I think 29″ wheels helped us rediscover that.

Image stolen and embellished from 'Fixie' Dave Nice, a simple man living a simple life on simple bikes. Whee, indeed.

Linky to Dave’s blog http://cellarrat.blogspot.com

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

I hope you enjoy these opinion pieces. Thanks for reading Twenty Nine Inches, and we all wish you a Happy New Year.

2012- A Look In The Rearview Mirror: Euro Edition- by c_g

OK- 29″ers are here for good, that is a fact by now … even here in Europe. In 2011 you were looked at strangely if you were riding/racing a 29″er. Now, in 2012, you were looked at strangely at a marathon event if you were not on a 29″er. Funny how things change.

This year also has shown how the pace of technological refinement is catching up with the long established 26“ offerings – some of the 2nd generation 29″er bikes we had on test from Euro companies (e.g CUBE, BMC or BERGAMONT) are bikes we would consider ‘near perfect’ (several made it into our Best of 2012 we did on the German TNI site … all in German but easily translated electronically). If you are looking for great handling 29″er Bikes, the field is no longer dominated by US companies … and we are happy about this

2012 showed how 29″ers continued diversifying over here. First predominantly accepted in the marathon and endurance crowds (hard tails and short travel bikes) – which is likely to stay the ultimate stronghold for 29″ers – we saw more and more bikes appearing that were definitely trail-oriented. Though there may be a constructive limit to the maximum effective travel on a 29″er (widely accepted to be around 130 to 140 mm), I see this trend of more aggressively riding 29″ers and 29″er components to continue for 2013.

But there is another trend I see: With 29″ers becoming mainstream here in Europe we seem to have left the beauty of simplicity behind. 29″ers started out with hard tails, rigid bikes and lots of steel, ti frames – Now when we hear news, it is mostly carbon and the latest in suspension technology that come through. And as a mirror of that 29″er scene, we are walking the same lines more often than not. I see that technological advancement has done a lot to enhance our fun (and safety) when riding, but as a tester, I sometimes find myself reaching out for the roots of simplicity again, which I do by getting on my completely outdated rigid steel bike from 1999.

Somehow this experience helps me … rediscovering both the ‘small kid’s fascination for biking and the appreciation for the current bike technology, because really things were not necessarily better ‘back then’. This helps me to recapture the conscience that it is not the technology behind the bike that has me go out and ride, but a factor that cannot be measured in numbers.

It is the RIDE of a bike, that should be the essence of riding. As long as this is the case, I don´t care whether the bike is made of steel or whatever space age material – if a bike puts a grin on my face, then this already is a huge step, and it is our goal here at TNI when reviewing to look beyond numbers and figures, but let you have a look into the feel of a bike or component.

Sure, all the other things need to be right too, numbers are important, ( as a German I am probably fed with numeric milk from babyhood on ), and here at TNI our small team tries to cover these grounds with as much depth and expertise as we know how to. However; it is this certain search for the ‘Perfect Ride’ that has me do what I do and enjoy it … and in doing so I try not to forget why I go out and ride in the first place.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013 and great riding to all of you,
c_g

ps: Interestingly it is a Carbon framed full susser, featuring the latest technologies, that ticked all our boxes (including that certain RIDE FEELING) and was crowned the „No. 1

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News