This is what some folks call fun - Big Mountain Riding

Today my fingers betrayed my body, signing me up for the 2010 Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race.

This is a Big Mountain Riding classic, an event I’ve finished three times, and one that almost finished me at least twice. It is a two-person team event, so I’ve convinced a friend to join me in this mad endeavor. Well, after 10-hours of technical riding, friend may not be the most accurate description of our relationship.

Going forward I will highlight our preparations for this beast-mother of an epic, and will debrief it after the fact. To get started, here is the required gear list for the back country adventure:

Required Gear:

1. Helmet. (1 per racer)~~~Racers must wear helmets ANY TIME they are riding their bikes. Uphill, Downhill, Gravel Road or Pavement. Racers not wearing a helmet while riding will be DQ’d.
2. Rain Jacket (1 per racer)~~~ (Plastic Trash bag doesn’t count as a Jacket) Even if it’s 70 degrees and sunny, don’t mess around. I don’t expect anyone to spend the night in the woods… but if you do, you’ll want a jacket. I promise.
3. Water Filter or Iodine (1 per team) ~~~ For the sake of your stomach, and those that will be around you after the race, DO NOT DRINK DIRECTLY FROM RIVERS OR CREEKS.
4. Emergency blanket (1 per racer)~~~ See above
5. Timepiece (1 per team) Watch, cycling computer, telephone, any device with the correct time.
6. First Aid Kit w/ Gauze, Tape, Ace Bandage, etc. (1 per team)~~~ Be prepared for anything!
7. Whistle (1 per team)
8. Lighter (1 per team)~~~ see #2
9. Compass or GPS unit (1 per team)~~~ What good is a map without a compass?
10. Red ‘Blinkie’ rear light (1 per racer)~~~ Riders must burn a tail-light anytime they are on pavement or gravel roads, day or night.
11. Emergency Light Source (Flashlight, LED, etc.) (1 per racer)~~~ There is a good chance your team will be arriving at the start/finish after dark. Bring appropriate lighting to get off the trail.

Can’t you tell how much fun this is going to be just from scanning the list?

©2010 Big Mountain Riding

Attack of the 650B-wheeled Carver Killer B

Compiled from the Dirt Rag Blog, twentynineinches.com and MTBR.com

Oddball bike sets the big wheel world abuzz

Think Goldilocks and the Three Bears: 650B wheels may be "Just right." - from twentynineinches.com

Talk about trial by fire: Dirt Rag’s Karen Brooks rolled her test bike directly out of the office and up to the starting line of the brawny Shenandoah 100, lingering only long enough to swap out a few components on the demo for more familiar ones. Luckily, the Killer B from Carver Bikes is an adaptable rig that lends itself to easy transitions for riders of 26″ or 29″ wheels – the 650MM wheel diameter translates to roughly 27.5″. Speaking of adaptability: following the Shenandoah 100, the Dirt Rag stripped the Killer B down and headed west for the Single Speed World Championships (SSWC) in Durango.

Just like 29″ wheels did, the 650B diameter is sure to draw staunch critics, blind worshipers and a whole host in-between – as well as a lot of “Huh? 650B – what’s that?” And with cycling consumers already primed for the revolution following the rise of the 29-er, the 650B wheel meets both more ready acceptance and more competition for critical comparison.

It seems that much of the reaction to the 650B wheels depends on whether the reviewer is throwing a leg over the Killer B after dismounting from a 26″ or a 29″ bike. To draw on Karen Brook’s Goldilocks analogy – whether the 650B porridge is warmer or cooler depends on which porridge dish you last sampled. Regardless, it seems for a swath of both wheel-size-camps, the 650B may be “just right.”

For those tuned to the 29″ style, the 650B opens dialogue on where “smaller” big wheels might fit in. Karen Brooks was happy with the way the Killer B snapped about in the brutally tight and twisty SSWC course and in the narrow, tree-lined singletrack of Shenandoah Mountain.

“I might choose something like this for an ultra tight, technical course with a fair amount of climbing,” allowed Guitar Ted, from twentynineinches.com.

Killer B's drop-outs come with a d-hanger or slotted for SS

Testers liked: the Killer B’s fast handling in tight turns and technical sections. This from 29-er folks, giving the mid-sized wheels their due. Meanwhile, a shorter reviewer, coming from 26″-wheels, liked the way the bigger wheels hooked up and stayed connected in corners and climbs without overwhelming their bike’s small frame. “[The Killer B] Climbs like a demon on steroids,” enthused a reviewer on MTBR.com. The smooth, stiff ride of the titanium frame and the no-charge customized sizing options also drew praise. “Out on the trail I thought, ‘Gee, this feels pretty good.’ in that fast, nimble sort of way,” said the reviewer for twentynineinches.com

Testers disliked: That 650B wheels rode a bit harsher, and struggled for traction more than 29″ wheels would in the same situations. Guitar Ted felt that that 650B wheels do not generate the momentum and the roll-over capabilities that converts so many to the big wheel faithful. “On wet roots, I still might prefer to go big (in wheel size, that is),” said Karen Brooks. Currently, there are not many options for off road tires and wheels, meaning no narrow knobbies for purchasing traction in the snow or the mud.

Indie bike, Indie attitude: Killer B rocking the mono-cog

SPECS:

- 3/2.5 Seamless Aerospace Titanium with X-Rayed Welds
- Machined box section head tube gusset
- S-bend chainstays and seat stays for clearance up to 2.6″ tires
- Choice of threaded bottom bracket or EBB, derailleur hanger or single speed dropout
- 27.2 seatpost size and 1 1/4″ front derailleur size
- 13″, 15″, 17″, 19″. 21″ and 23″ sizes
- Custom sizing at no extra cost
- 6 mm. water cut dropouts with rack mounts

Cost –

Frame: $1099.95 Full-Build: +/- $2000

Read the full Dirt Rag Review.

© 2009 Big Mountain Riding