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Phil,

I wonder what that wheelbase is on that “Mullet.” The IBIS Mountain Trials has a 39 1/2 inch wheelbase, a 72 degree head tube angle, and a tall 12 inch bottom bracket height. Interesting that my Ti IBIS has a 40 inch wheelbase. 15 1/2 inch chain stays. Pretty much 3/4’ers of your weight is right over the rear wheel, and it is almost akin to riding a unicycle. LOL.

These style bikes are great for log hopping, and climb very well.

The best 24 inch rear tire, a 24x2.1 is a Schwable Rocket Ron which is available in Kevlar bead and is mucho light. There is also a Schwable Billy Bonkers that is like a gravel tire, but it is made and designed for pump tracks and jumping. Both enjoy low rolling resistance.

BTW this aggressive geometry also makes for a great single speed. These bikes used oversized stiff tubing and they accelerate like a BMX bike. A 63 gear inch gearing along with a 30 inch gear would make for a very-very aggressive bike that would be mean and lean.

I have a ISIS crank with a bash guard if you need it. 175mm Truvidia or something like that made by Sram. I think a 32 tooth.

Another thought is that would also make a great bike for bike polo or a single speed mountain bike with a 48-52 inch gear.

Like they say, “Good things happen to good people.”

“Brutal,” I say.

Cal
 
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Phil,

My steel IBIS is my technical bike. I have a 20/16 with bash guard and Rhyno Lite 16 gauge brass nippled wheelset dedicated to 30 inch gear trials. A brutal bike. Know that the steel IBIS utilizes a U-brake on the rear and I updated it with a BMX brake.

Then I have a 30 tooth Wolf Tooth chainring and a 11-42T XTR 11-speed with something like a 17 inch gear low.

Rock Shox Judy SL with original Speed Springs (light weight springs). I also run a 2.35 tire for additional cush.

This is a very-very fun bike.

Cal
 
Cal, I have a bunch of old Girvin RockRings in both 110 and 94BCD. The Raleigh is bone stock including the chainstay mounted Suntour U Brake. The cranks on it now are 110BCD Sakae triple, which will take my RockRing just fine. I have no problem bashing these up. I’m ruminating over the thought of putting my set of Magura hydraulics on the Raleigh and sticking the XTR cantis back on the Breezer to get it closer to original. I don't want to bash up the Breezer even though it’s a user as it stands; it’s still Ritchey Logic tubing and really light, so it’s made to be a cross country bike. The Raleigh Edge is a tank; it has these heavy gussets which reinforce the frame at the headtube, like an old BMX bike. It’s ugly, it’s pink, and it’s got so much potential.
I saw one mtb nutjob (like myself) mount a set of Magura hydraulics on seatstay U brake posts by basically putting the mounts on “upside down”. I don't know if I am comfortable putting a hydraulic brake line in such a vulnerable place but it would be absolutely killer. I think I’d design a bash guard to mount on the posts then run up to the bottom bracket to protect the two brake lines if I go this route.
I’ll check the wheelbase and get back to you. I know the head angle is 71.5 degrees, and the chainstays are 16.3” long. Supposedly this is a really twitchy bike made for serious rolling trials and negotiating rock gardens.
I’ll post photos of the Breezer when I make up my mind and then do the same with the Raleigh. Fun, fun, fun.
Phil Forrest
 
Last week at Home Cheapo I found a packet of English Thyme seeds in the parking lot. Of course I picked them up, but I also learned that pollinators love Thyme.

I will also be transplanting some German Thyme onto the slope in the back-backyard as a ground cover. We also have English thyme in our herb garden already.

Anyways it does not take much to make me happy: a free packet of English Thyme seeds.

How mundane is that? Happy-happy.

Cal
 
Phil,

Now imagine that aggressive geometry on a bead blasted Ti frame done in the mid nineties when Gary Helfrick was associated with IBIS and Scot Nicol convinced Gary to move from Mass. to California.

As a single speed with a 63 inch gear and 1.5 wide slicks my Ti IBIS weighs 17 pounds and is pure acceleration.

My steel IBIS I kinda wore the paint off from crashes, LOL, so I had it powder coated a fluorescent orange so I would not get shot by any deer hunters since we ride on narrow twisty deer trails in the pine barrens. This bike is “loud” looking.

When I got the bike powder coated I called IBIS to try and get new decals. Some dude asked for my address and said, “Send us $5.00 when you get a chance.” How cool is that?

A loud orange bike, and a loud pink bike. I love it. Very mucho cool. Such history. Who needs a new bike?

Cal
 
Cal, with fat tires front and rear (2.3 front, 2.1 rear) it’s supposedly just a hair under 13” bottom bracket height.
I read a trick that John Olsen did with one of these: he got a tandem stoker crank so he had two cranks with spiders, then put bash guards on both. Supposedly the bike would just balance then roll over logs. He used the tandem crank because the left side stoker crank has the spider and this makes it so the pedal threading is standard, instead of having to run two right side pedals and risking one working its way out. A very cool solution.
“Who needs a new bike?” is so true. I have friends who say my bikes are sh** or that they are slow. Thats fine, my serious racing days are done, and I like the challenge of concentrating on the technical bits. Remember, I used to ride up Sandia peak, 7 miles and a 3000 foot nonstop climb, just so I could ride down it. I grew up with slow, precise placement of my wheels because I wanted to get to the top and didn’t have any friends with a car!
Phil Forrest
 
Phil,

I had heard that Cannondales had a whopping 13 inch tall bottom brackets. Since John Olsen was involved I suspected that it might have that tall BB.

On my IBIS on downhills I ride actually behind the saddle to avoid a front wheel trap and endo’s.

Does your bike have a chain stay mounted u-brake, or a seat stay mounted brake?

Middleburn makes a “Trials Guard” that replaces the entire spyder on the crank. It can accommodate 20-24T chainrings. I have a red version.

Also do you have horizontal drop-outs?

Cal
 
When I bought the 7 1/2 inch Milwaukee chainsaw I did not think it would get used so much, but today I started grooming the dead end and got rid of a tree that was dangling from invasive vines. It was a pretty substantial tree and the logs went to good use as water bars on the dead end slope leading down to the marsh. Hacking the Tarzan like vines was EZ-PZ.

Without my chainsaw hatchet the work would of been brutal. The log was about 9-10 inches thick: cut out a wedge; then a third cut. The small size is not a handicap, and is an asset. A very handy tool.

Been using the small chainsaw a lot, so much that I need to add more chain lube because of heavy use, but the 8.0 battery was only half discharged, and this included all the cutting I did gathering all those other logs. Anyways money well spent.

Home Cheapo has a Black Friday sale and Scotts garden soil is 5 bags for $10.00. I need to load up the truck. At Lowes last week they had a sale on mulch for $2.00 a 2 cubic foot bag. I loaded up on them.

Cal
 
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Just came back from CVS. Had to use two coupons: one was $6.00 off a purchase over $30.00; and the other was a $10.00 “Rewards.” Basically save $16.00 total if I spend $30.00 or more.

Pretty easy to buy two 12-packs of Scott toilet paper and some packages of gum for “Maggie” to hose CVS.

I stockpile staples like toilet paper, paper towels, and lotions for my chronically dry skin.

On my way out the street photographer in me takes notice of a hand written sign on a bin “Free N95 Masks unlimited quantity” but there are only two plastic bags left, each with perhaps 25 masks in each bag.

I do the right thing and take both bags.

I guess this means this pandemic is over, but I will have N95 masks to insulate the attic, and for the next pandemic.

I have a theory: prove me wrong. I have observed that say a natural disaster happens like say a destructive hurricane, waterfront home prices decline, but in 5 years the earlier natural disaster is as if it never happened.

Had to stock up on pencils to do my wood working. Have a table top drill press, a table saw, and mucho hand tools. Lumber is stored in the garage already for a bathroom cabinet. Simple arts and crafts design finished in a translucent gel stain.

The Magnolia tree in my dining room now stands about 6’ 2” and is taller than me. Now it is also spreading wider. A new branch is emerging… Has another foot to grow to be taller than the windows.

Cal
 
Calzone said:
My steel IBIS I kinda wore the paint off from crashes, LOL, so I had it powder coated a fluorescent orange so I would not get shot by any deer hunters since we ride on narrow twisty deer trails in the pine barrens. This bike is “loud” looking.

A loud orange bike, and a loud pink bike. I love it. Very mucho cool. Such history. Who needs a new bike?

Cal
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Guys, I like the bike talk! It's another hobby I have paused. Truly I just live in one of those "15 minute towns" in Europe and use bikes for commuting. But you can't have something nice for commuting!
In 4 years living burbs (that 2 mile away, 15 min bike) never had any incident with parts being stolen. Ironically I haven't lost much: Since living central I had a wheel being stolen (QR axle) which actually reappeared weeks later at a garden next to the parking (!) and back in November some thief ran around our parking and they stole my rear (also QR) axle, but luckily left the wheel (a ok 2003 XT grade wheel 26"). Thanks the dude must have been a bad mechanic and the v brakes clamped the wheel in place!

Back in 15-18 when I liked vintage bikes I always looked up at the Klein Attitude. The Klein horizon linear fade and gator. Wish bikes came in those paint jobs now! Interestingly never saw any 29" MTB build that tributed these.

I am leaving biking again for good weather, socially quiet times.
 
News today is that all ten chapters of “Maggie’s” book are now good and over the next three weeks the manuscript will get “line edited.” The only thing that has to get written is the epilogue.

Maggie contacted her literary agent and she is going to promote foreign and film rights. Already a British publisher will distribute the book as an imprint.

Soon a cover release will happen where book buyers can pre-order.

Don’t know how crazy marketing and book tours will go. Seems like the book is timely because of Digital Influencer burnout is a current topic, and Maggie writes about what happened to her. Pretty much because of the British release a trip to London is likely.

Seems like a photo for every chapter, and pretty much photo credits to me or possibly from my friend Mike “the skinny hipster,” the avid biker who is mucho crazy on fixed gear bikes. He is a wack-job on a bike.

So a little respite from all the support for three weeks. Still have daycare for the grandson until June…

Cal
 
I’m thinking of a bike meet-up in the fall which would be a day-trip to New Palz to go to Lake Minawaska and ride the carriage roads that are basically gravel roads with “water-bars” so really best suited for a mountain bike.

The roads are along white granite cliffs not far from the Gunks where world class rock climbing happens. Pretty much I would want to do this trip at fall peak colors.

One thing to know is that these carriage roads are shared with horseback riders, and the right thing to do is stop, dismount and not spook the horse and endanger the horseback rider.

So lots of climbing and the water bars are like a step on a staircase. Another warning, if you go too fast, look out below because there are real cliffs.

The ride from the State Park into New Palz is mostly a downhill that is paved. In the past one person would drive into town, but the rest of the crew does the downhill on a paved road. Pretty easy to hit terminal velocity. Also there is this hairpin turn at the base of the Gunks.

I’m sure after a day of climbing on a bike that food will taste extra good In New Palz.

I will likely try to group up with Iron Mike and some crew from my Long Island bike days.

Fun-fun and more fun…

Cal
 
Jorde,

Klein Attitude is a very light bike. Very retro late 1980’s.

I was a member of CLIMB, Concerned Long Island Mountain Bicycleists, and Kliens were very popular back then. This was in a time before suspension forks, and everything was a rigid.

A few Klein frames fatigued, but were replaced with other Kliens…

Kinda funny is one guy in CLIMB was sponsored by Specialize, and he looked just like Ned Overend. At races he would get mobbed by fans. LOL.

Cal
 
One time, in about 1996, I was riding the Cedro Peak trails, east of Albuquerque with my friend Liam. At the time I was riding a Giant ATX 890 with an AMP Research suspension fork. I loved that fork and I still think it was one of the best designs out there. Anyway, we're riding up a gentle grade when my coworker Mike rides up behind us and says "Phil get out of the way, Keith is coming up." I didn't understand what Mike meant because we didn't have a Keith on staff, and thought they were talking about a prospective new manager. So I get off the trail a few inches and I'm track standing up into the grade, off-camber with a steep hill down to my left. I look over my shoulder and there goes Chris, then Law-Man (Lawrence), then KEITH BONTRAGER, then our boss Lee. My buddy Liam said "holy crap, that was Keith Bontrager!" The group crested the hill and was out of sight within a couple seconds. I lost my concentration and my left cleat wasn't releasing well that day, so I dumped the bike and went feet over head with my bike attached.
I learned back in 2013 that Keith had given one of his last handmade frames which was unpainted, to my boss Lee. This was after the Trek merger but before existing stock was exhausted. Supposedly, the only Bontrager frames after the merger with any sort of quality control back when they were built in the garage, were the early Trek-owned Privateers and what was remaining of the Race Lite line. After that, it was all just mass produced Trek.
We were primarily a Specialized shop but we also sold Trek as well; this is in the days before the massive corporate Specialized and Trek shops that are all over the place now. When Ned wanted to train at high altitude but the mountains near Durango were too snowy, he'd come to Albuquerque. Most people don't know that New Mexico is higher elevation on average than the other Rocky Mountain states; along with its more southern location and lack of precipitation, it can be a near-perfect (or used to be) training area for athletes. Albuquerque is higher in elevation than Durango and most cities in Colorado. There's a 10,110 ft peak just to the east of Albuquerque with many miles of technical climbing and fast downhills. Anyway, we worked on the bikes of pros who were sponsored by Trek as well as Specialized. I think that's why I always thought of a dark red steel S-Works team with a Mag 21 as my holy grail bike; I'd seen team riders training on them and wanted one until this day. I'm good on bikes though, I probably have enough right now, with the exception of a really lightweight road bike. Now that I'm regularly commuting on my old Miyata, I have an itch to get a light road bike. I used to love riding on ridden-once tubulars glued to essentially free wheels back when I worked at the biggest shop in Philly.

Phil Forrest
 
Calzone said:
I’m thinking of a bike meet-up in the fall which would be a day-trip to New Palz to go to Lake Minawaska and ride the carriage roads that are basically gravel roads with “water-bars” so really best suited for a mountain bike.

The roads are along white granite cliffs not far from the Gunks where world class rock climbing happens. Pretty much I would want to do this trip at fall peak colors.

One thing to know is that these carriage roads are shared with horseback riders, and the right thing to do is stop, dismount and not spook the horse and endanger the horseback rider.

So lots of climbing and the water bars are like a step on a staircase. Another warning, if you go too fast, look out below because there are real cliffs.

The ride from the State Park into New Palz is mostly a downhill that is paved. In the past one person would drive into town, but the rest of the crew does the downhill on a paved road. Pretty easy to hit terminal velocity. Also there is this hairpin turn at the base of the Gunks.

I’m sure after a day of climbing on a bike that food will taste extra good In New Palz.

I will likely try to group up with Iron Mike and some crew from my Long Island bike days.

Fun-fun and more fun…

Cal
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Count me in....Minnewaska is a gorgeous place to ride. The other option is to ride from Minnewaska into Mohonk Preserve, which then connects to the River to Ridge trail; you can take that all the way into New Paltz. You miss that loooong downhill with the hairpin turn. But your brake pads would thank you for it!
 
David,

I’m posting this early so we can get bikes built up. Also a reason to ride.

Please tell us more about the River to Ridge trail.

Camera wise I have a GoPro Hero 6 mounted to the stem on my Ti IBIS. Last night I was looking through my inventory to convert the bike from a 63 gear inch single speed with a freewheel to a 2x11 XTR.

Cal
 
Cal,
The Raleigh has a chainstay mounted Suntour roller-cam brake. I'm going to get it cleaned up, replace the pads with some Kool Stop salmons, stick on a brace, replace the cables and upgrade to compression-less housing then see what that gets me. If that doesn't work, I'll go full-on crazy and upgrade to hydraulics, which will include the fabrication of a curved bash guard to protect the cross-over line. One issue I'm having is finding any decent current-production 24" rims with 32 holes. My White Eno is a 32h hub and the only rim I can find in current production is the Ryde Andra 40, but they are only available in the EU, so I'd have to order from Germany and shipping will be as much as the rim itself. Granted, the Andra 40 is hands-down, the strongest, most durable rim made at this time, so it will be worth it in the long run (I'll probably buy two if I decide to go that route, because shipping will be the same as a single rim.
Tires for the Joe Breeze just arrived last night, Continental Cross Kings, which should take the trails of Fairmount park just fine. I've ridden 100% of the trails at Belmont and Wissahickon on a CX bike using Vittoria Mastercross and EVO Cross tires, which have barely any tread (and shed mud so well), so I'll be fine with the lightly-lugged Conti tires.
Phil Forrest
 
The thing with u-brakes is they don’t modulate as well as cantilever brakes, but they clamp well to lock a wheel.

As far as 32-hole rims I have my trials wheels that have a Surley 1x1 hub that have 16 gauge brass nipples using a Rhyno Lite rim. Have a newly made fresh black Envey 32-hole with black 16 gauge spokes and black brass nipples Omni an Eno black hub as my spare/backup.

Then I have a 36-hole Answer Pinnacle Pro BMX racing rim using butted spokes and alloy nipples utilizing a black Eno. All black and evil looking.

I also used all black 36-hole Pinnacle Pro rims to build two 11-speed wheels using bladed spokes. Still have a spare Answer Pinnacle Pro but it is a red anodize and is kinda loud as a backup.

My workaround was to us BMX racing rims and going 36-hole.

You are right getting 32-hole rims is a problem, but I think I have a used (by me) 32 Sun/Ringle rim I could gift you. It is old and retro silver rim.

This wheel I used on my steel IBIS when I built it as a single speed and used Schwable Big Apple slicks. Used a 48-16T for 72 inch gear when I lived in NYC before I got the Ti IBIS.

This rim features no rivets on the spoke holes and the inside comes to a point like a cross section of a Cape Cod house.

Because 24 is an odd-ball size I stocked up on them. Glad I did because 24 inch is not easy to source… Good idea to buy a spare rim.

You might want to check out a Schwable Billy Bonkers (available in 24 and 26 inch Kevlar bead). This tire has a gravel like tread and is specifically designed for pump track riders (jumping). Very very low rolling resistance, and also light in weight.

Cal
 
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