An Overhaul (part 7) - On the Road Again

After 30 months and about 12,000 mostly rough miles, my Black Mountain Cycles gravel bike is long overdue for an overhaul.  A frame off overhaul, if you will.  I removed, cleaned, and inspected each component, analyzing wear for possible replacement and performance for possible upgrade.

The big relief is that the big things, namely the frame, fork and wheels, look great and work great.  Very small touch up paint on the frame and fork and very minor truing on the wheels.  Nothing more required or desired.

Of course, the tires and sealant need replacing, as do the drivetrain components of the cassette, chain and chain rings.  I also replace all cables, housing, brake pads and bar tape.  "That's just normal wear and tear, dude."

After careful consideration, the only upgrade is a new Velo-Orange Grand Cru crank set.  When installing the new crank set, I find that the bottom bracket is a bit short.  So, I replace the Shimano UN-55 square taper bottom bracket with another of the right length.  I'll keep the still solid, shorter bottom bracket with the old crank set in the parts bin, just in case.

That's it, this time.  Maybe I'll try a Salsa CowChipper handle bar in the future.  And maybe a different saddle.  Maybe.  This bike is built for long miles on rough roads in all conditions.  It handles that just fine.

The End of Odin's Revenge - One Rider's Retrospective

For five years, Odin's Revenge threw down an annual 180 mile remote road bicycle race that captured the very essence of the storied Mid-Western gravel scene. Now, the downright neighborly folks behind this remarkable event are pulling up stakes and moving on. I appreciate all their efforts over those years and cherish those experiences. I know they care deeply for the event and all the people with whom they shared it. But I'm still sad. I cranked, pushed and dragged my bike almost sixty-eight hours of official race time to reach four finish lines. That leaves a mark. So, I'm not letting this pass without at least one retrospective from this grateful rider.

Chad Quigley, the dastardly mastermind behind Odin's Revenge, surveys his far-flung realm,
the breadth and depth into which he dispatched willing subjects eager for adventure.  
(photo by Wally Kilburg)

As a start, the beautiful, brutal, mysterious course is legendary. Miles of rolling primo gravel wind through remote backcountry, connected by stretches of deeply rutted, washed out, powdered dirt near-roads. Twisty-turvey ridgeline spins precipitously drop into deep, forested ravines before nasty  steeps claw back out. Miles pass, sometimes hours, without the sight of a single occupied building, let alone a town. You are immersed in the depths of an endless central Nebraska prairie.

The pre-dawn start of the inaugural 2012 Odin's Revenge, where just six of the twenty-eight starters endure the blazing heat to finish the brutal course. Pictures and reports of that race spark my imagination and draw me to Gothenburg the following year. Jazzed, I return each of the next three years and would love to return again. (photo by Odin's Revenge)

Then the weather chips in. Mid-summer midwestern heat and humidity, whipped up by persistent, unbridled winds, extract every ounce of fluid from the body and dare you to think a positive thought.  But you do, because that's what you do and because anything less dooms the day.

If, by some Norse god treachery, those powdery near-roads turn to mud, forget about riding and maybe forget about some of your expensive bike parts. Listen to any survivor of the 2014 Odin's Revenge, the infamous Mud Year. Here's one story, just a flashing moment of my 21 hour day that year. On a particularly steep, rutted, muddy descent, I actually slid down sideways. Yes, my bike was perpendicular to my direction of travel as I feebly maneuvered between wheel-gobbling ruts. Only the bottom of the hill stopped me. That kept the heart rate up.

A real treat at my first Odin's Revenge is meeting and riding with a host of talented,
engaging bike geeks from all over, including the gregarious Mark Stevenson,
code name Guitar Ted. A better riding companion you will not find. 
Here's Mark towing me up the final climb to Check Point 1 in the 2013 Odin's Revenge.
(photo by Odin's Revenge)

The conditions vary from hero gravel to ghastly, and you never know how long a particular elixir or witches brew of conditions will last. The DSG crew change the course every year and divulge it only by paper cue sheets at the start and at a half way checkpoint, if you somehow survive to make it that far and on time. The mystery and eventual discovery of the route are all part of the allure. What form of beauty or beast, or both, lies in wait around the next bend or over the next rise?

At the 2014 Odin's Revenge pre-race gathering, the DSG crew lays it out there.  
Consistent, torrential spring rains have saturated the countryside.
Good gravel roads are barely rideable and the non-maintained dirt roads are barely walkable.
Do the riders want to race an alternative, shorter course?
The resounding response - NO!!!
(photo by Odin's Revenge)

More amazing than the Odin's Revenge race course, however, are the friendly folks behind it. Chad and Merrie Quigley, Matt Bergen, Bob Wieck, Garrett Olson, Kyle Vincent, Nate Bell and Paul Siebert. They envisioned, created and nurtured a unique, home-spun event for everyone to enjoy. They cater to the adventuresome spirit, with a focused guidance for everyone to share the experience with each other and to take care of each other, all in the context of an unsupported, remote road bicycle race. To put all that together, and keep it together, is a remarkable achievement.

Inspired by Friday night campfire tales and encouragement from gravel royalty Greg Gleason,
I lighten my payload and reconfigure my race plans at the 2015 Odin's Revenge.
I push the pace early, and hang on. The final 40 some miles were unforgettable,
steaming out of the last Check Point in a six rider peloton 
destined for a joyous finish before dark. (photo by Odin's Revenge)

People responded. They sure did, from all corners of the cycling world, from the fastest to the slowest, the expert to the novice. They ventured to a speck on the map of flyover country for Odin's Revenge. This eclectic assortment of certifiable bike geeks breathed life into the communal experience envisioned by the DSG crew. Together, everyone at Odin's Revenge demonstrated that a bike race can be more. So much more.

Flooding in 2015 forced the DSG crew to move the Friday pre-race gathering, at the very last minute,
to the Walker Steak House.  Of course, it turned out awesome.  That's just how DSG rolls.
Here's the Odin's Revenge clan beginning to gather at Walker's in 2016.  
(photo by Odin's Revenge)



The vibe generated at Odin's Revenge reverberated throughout the gravel scene and through all those who were privileged to participate.  

Experiences shared. Friendships forged. Futures shaped.

Those endure.

Thank you.

An Overhaul (part 6) - Controls

The Black Mountain gravel bike overhaul moves to the handlebars, stem, saddle, seat post and collar.  To the non-cyclist, these components may seem to be, well, rather pedestrian.  To the cyclist, however, one errant component in this mix can turn a nice, long ride into something entirely different.  Here's a look at some under appreciated components after 12,000 miles.

Handlebars (Salsa Cowbell 44 cm).   Over more than a few miles and seasons of road riding, I have tried many different handlebars in an endless search of long distance comfort on the hoods, functional control in the drops, and usable recovery space on the tops.  Longer distance, rough road riding is tough enough on the hands and I have an additional challenge of a problematic left wrist, first broken and not properly healed back in 1974.  No handlebar worked just right.

No handlebar, that is, until the Salsa CowBell I installed on this Black Mountain gravel bike.  The slight flare, shallow drop and short reach combine to make this an exceptionally comfortable road bike bar for me.  Although the flare is reminiscent of the old Salsa Bell Lap cyclocross bar and many varieties of road bars offer a shallow drop or a short reach, the CowBell put it all together in a way that works just right for me.

A careful inspection of the CowBell bars reveals no cracks or flaws, or other reason to retire them.  So, they go back on, with a fresh wrapping of bar tape.  All that being said, I remain intrigued by the Salsa CowChipper bars, which look like a CowBell with about twice the flare.  I don't know how my wrists would respond to even more flare, but maybe next overhaul I'll consider experimenting with a CowChipper.

Stem (Thomson Elite 4X).  There's nothing complicated about this stem.  It's just strong, durable and, in this case, elegant.  No slippage or sway.  The right reach and angle.  A perfect perch for those CowBell bars and still gorgeous.  No polish necessary.

Saddle (Terry Liberator).  My longer distance road bikes have sported Terry Liberator saddles since the early 1990's.  Like the Time ATAC pedals, I stumbled into this saddle a long time ago, discovered that it fit just right and was comfortable for hours on end.  Lighter, more glamorous saddles adorned some go-fast bikes, but this model always seems to end up on the bike set up for longer rides.  So, when I built up this gravel bike, I naturally installed a new Terry Liberator.  Now, I simply cannot rationalize replacing a proven performer when it works so well and still looks good.  I'm always open to suggestions and maybe next overhaul I'll look at something else.  Maybe.

Seatpost/Collar (Thomson Elite/Thomson).  Like the Thomson stem, there's nothing complicated about the seat post.  An elegant component that happens to be strong and durable.  Easy to set right and then just forget about.  A perfect post for that comfy saddle.  Clean, regrease lightly and return to its rightful place.  And that collar looks like a sterling silver ring, securing holding everything in place over the roughest terrain.

Various designs of suspension seat posts are now available for rough road riding.  I think the general concept is solid and may well become a popular standard feature on many all road bikes.  But not mine.  This bike in particular is not the one for a seat post with moving joints or flexing carbon.  More fundamentally, this artfully designed rim-brake steel frame and fork, with quality 40 mm tires on wide 32 spoke rims, combine with the other components to create an exceptionally comfortable ride.  No suspension needed for me.

In summary, the control components of the handlebars, stem, saddle, seat post, and collar each work as intended.  No changes.

An Overhaul (part 5) - Brakes and Shifters

The brakes and shifters on my gravel bike are not the latest, greatest, gotta-have, gee whiz-bang shindigs.  To the contrary, these simple, durable, old school components just work well in most conditions.  They have never left me stranded out in the sticks and are unlikely to do so.  Eventually, they will wear out.  Let's see how they're faring.

Keeping it simple.  Simple brake levers, rim brakes and friction bar end shifters.  No worries.

Brakes (Shimano XT V-brakes/Cane Creek 287V levers).  Like the front derailleur, I pulled this set of XT V-brakes off my old Torelli cyclocross bike when converting to cantilevers.  For well over ten years, they collected dust in my parts bin before recalled for deployment on this gravel bike.  Teamed up with Cane Creek 287V levers, these V-brakes have provided all the power and modulation I've ever needed for rough road riding.

On close inspection, the calipers show some age, but still function without flaw.  The springs and pivots look good and move right.  Maybe I'll look for an upgrade to a set of Paul Components or other higher end rim brakes next time around.  This time, with some minor buffing, these V-brake calipers go back on.

Simple Shimano XT V-brakes, about 15 years old, or so.

The brake levers have weathered more than a few mishaps, but have never malfunctioned.  As one who rides on the hoods most of the time, I find these levers comfortable for long rides.  If I had to replace them, which I don't, I'd buy the same set again.

So, for the brakes, I'll replace the pads, run new cables and housing, and expect many more miles of comfortable, confident braking.



Rivendell Silver friction bar end shifters.  Move the lever, move the derailleur.  Simple.

Shifters (Rivendell Silver Bar End).  If the square taper bottom bracket somehow escaped attention, the friction (!?!?!) bar end shifters scream "RetroGrouch!"  For the younger crowd, with friction shifting, one slides a lever to find the desired gear, rather than punching a lever to precisely click into a specific gear.  Think playing a trombone, rather than a trumpet.  Admittedly not lightening fast, these shifters define versatility and perform well in all sorts of nasty conditions.  I like them and will put them back on, along with a fresh set of new cables and housing.

All told, these brakes and shifters have worked as intended and should continue to do so for the foreseeable future, with regular maintenance and replacement of cables, housing, and pads.  I love it when a plan comes together.

An Overhaul (part 4) - Drivetrain

Other than multiple flats, catastrophic failure of the drivetrain is probably the most common mechanical deal breaker in a gravel race.  Rear derailleurs and chains are particularly vulnerable to jams and breaks from the small, odd-shaped chunks of gravel that can travel with muddy soil.  And the rest of the drivetrain is far from immune.

I focus on prevention by prioritizing durable components, frequent maintenance and careful operation in adverse conditions.  That is, I choose heavier (not race light and not carbon) components, clean off any accumulation of anything, and stop pedaling when something doesn't sound or feel right.  Sure, I've broken stuff, but this approach has carried me through many messy miles, including the infamous 2014 Odin's Revenge 180 mile gravel race, where only six racers finished ahead of a long, muddy trail of broken bikes, parts and dreams.  (Yes, I passed a fellow racer holding up a broken carbon frame.)  Now that this drivetrain is disassembled and really clean, let's see how it's held up after all those miles.

Damage assessment after the first Minimum Maintenance Road at the 2014 Odin's Revenge.
That was it for some racers, over 150 miles of rough roads short of the finish.  (photo by Scott Redd)

Rear Derailleur (Shimano Deore LX).   Even cleaned up and polished a bit, this rear derailleur looks like it's been through some medieval battles.  Scuffs and scratches abound.  But, more importantly, the main spring, joints and pulleys look solid, feel good and move right.  I don't have to do much of anything with this derailleur.  Remarkable.  It's going right back on.

Front Derailleur (Shimano XT Top Pull).  Practically new when pulled off my old Torelli cyclocross bike in a single speed conversion, this front derailleur is elegantly simple and functional.  The top pull design allows the shift cable to run along the top tube and down the seat tube directly into the derailleur.  No need to run the cable below the derailleur, around a pulley and back up, as required by a bottom pull derailleur.  That's one less spot to collect mud and debris that can cause failure.  Cleaned up and polished a bit, this derailleur looks and works great.  Back on it goes.

Go ahead, call me a curmudgeon.  I am not removing the front derailleur for a 1X drivetrain, which inflicts considerably greater lateral forces on the often gunked up chain as it moves across the breadth of the now necessary wide range cassette.  I know experienced cyclists who love their 1X drivetrain for this application and that's great.  It's certainly the trend and may be the wave.  But I like closer spacing in mid-range gears.  I also know from years of single speeding how little a chain wears when the drive line between the chain ring and cog is always perfectly straight, and how much greater a chain wears even when properly operating a 3X drivetrain, let alone a 2X.  Cranking through gunk with a chain torqued from a single chain ring to a 36, 42 or even larger cassette cog does not fit my design criteria for this bike.

Functional, durable, serviceable.  Choose all three.

 Cassette/Chain (Shimano Ultegra 12-27/SRAM 971).  Yes, I still run 9 speed, mostly on the relatively close gear range of a 12-27 cassette and occasionally on a 11-34.  That's plenty of gears, especially for this curmudgeon whose other bikes are all single speed or fixed.  So, I don't need to even address the relative merits of 10 or 11 speed systems.  Although this Ultregra cassette would not make Guitar Ted's page of #bikeshophorrors, it's worn enough to warrant replacement.  This time, I'm moving to an even more road-like, closer range 13-25 cassette, to close down a couple of mid-range gaps.  I can always switch to that 11-34 for a long ride with particularly steep, technical climbs or for a bike packing trip.  With a new cassette, I'll put on a new chain, since I replace the chain about once a year anyhow.

Crankset/Chainrings (FSA 50/34).  The crankset and chainrings take some serious work just to get clean, even with a chemical assist.  Whoa.  Those rings are beat.  I'm surprised I haven't experienced chain skips or drops.  And that basic crankset, never pretty to begin with, simply will not clean up or polish up.  I could install some new chain rings on that dowdy crankset.  Instead, I'm replacing the whole enchilada with a Velo-Orange Grand Cru crankset with 48/34 chain rings.  Much better.

The right crankset for this bike.

Pedals (Time ATAC Alium).  I like Time ATAC pedals.  I have ridden, raced, commuted, toured and goofed with various versions of ATACs on every type of bike since my first pair in 2001.  They are functional, durable and mudophilic.  Once the cleats are worn in a little, they engage effortlessly without a thought and disengage only when truly needed.  Not so great in the snow, but clipless pedals just aren't.  This three year old pair no longer looks new.  In fact, they look pretty rough.  But I don't see anything wrong functionally to warrant replacement.  Their track record carries them back on this bike.

Bottom Bracket (Shimano UN55).  Nothing says "retrogrouch" quite like a threaded, square taper bottom bracket.  However, nothing says durable, dependable, serviceable and replaceable quite like one, either.  Once committed to square taper, the alternatives to Shimano's best are limited to high end offerings costing several times as much from the likes of Phil Wood and White Industries.  I tried the White Industries bottom bracket on my single speed mountain bike a few years ago.  It exploded within a year of moderate use and left me walking out on an important ride.  Not doing that again.  This one is barely broken in.  Back on it goes.

In sum, I'm replacing the cassette, chain, crankset and chain rings, but not the rear derailleur, front derailleur, pedals or bottom bracket.  I think that's doing pretty well for all those rough miles.

An Overhaul (part 3) - Wheels and Tires

The overhaul of my Black Mountain Cycles gravel bike moves to wheels and tires.  When I built up this bike in early 2014, I simply put on a spare cyclocross wheel set from my parts bin.  The aging Shimano Ultegra hubs still spun smoothly, but the Mavic CX rims were road-bike narrow, relatively heavy and pretty beat up from years of single speed cyclocross abuse.  So, about a year ago, I upgraded to wider, tubeless compatible H Plus Son Archetype rims laced to Shimano 105 hubs.  Really nice new.  Looks good for this application.  Let's take a closer look at these wheels after about 4,000 rough miles.

After a thorough cleaning, I scrutinize each wheel on a truing stand.  No wobbles.  No dips.  Just a couple of minor tweaks per wheel to return them to true.  I'm pleasantly surprised that these rims remain practically spot on, given the pounding they have endured.  The hubs spin nicely and the spokes are undamaged.  Functionally, these wheel are ready to roll.

Final inspection by Mila, a particularly persnickety cat.

Aesthetically, the modestly deep rims proudly display their hard earned miles.  OK, they look a little beat up.  I first spend some energy on the brake surfaces, scrubbing off embedded lines of stubborn, sticky residue with a degreaser soaked brush.  That helps.  But the side walls of the rims need more attention.  I reach into the restoration tool kit to pull out an old can of NEVER-DULL Wadding Polish.  That's the ticket.  It takes a couple of episodes of "The Rifleman" on a quiet Saturday morning to work through both wheels to buff up that shine.  Looks better than new to me, with a few resilient scratches remaining to honor those challenging miles.

All dressed up, just waiting for some new shoes.

On to the tires, I switched to tubeless 40 mm Schwalbe G-Ones in March and could not be more pleased.  For my type of riding, they are the Goldilocks blend of comfort, control, flat protection and durability.  Now, after over 3,000 miles, the knobs on the centerline are essentially gone and those on the edges are almost.  When removing the tires, I find some sealant remaining, but cannot see how.  The front tire has a large gash from a broken bottle encounter, along with several thorns still sticking through.  The rear tire has two smaller gashes and more thorns than I count.  Somehow, they both still hold air, although those gashes probably explain why I can not keep tire pressure above 40 psi.  I order replacements.

Schwalbe G-One tire seated on a H Plus Son Archetype rim.  Now, that's a match.

This combination of rims and tires easily sets up tubeless in a few moments with just a floor pump, even for this recent convert.  No more work than old school tubes.  Here's to the next few thousand miles.


Addendum.  I'm open to offers, preferably a trade for something unique, for a pair of barely used 45 mm Bruce Gordon Rock 'n Roads.  Many like those tires, but they're not for me.

An Overhaul (part 2) - Frame and Fork

It's no secret that I love my Black Mountain Cycles gravel bike.  For the rough road riding I enjoy, it's   a magnificent fusion of form and function.  Hard to imagine anything better for me.

Now, after over 30 months and 12,000 miles of rough roads in all kinds of conditions, it's time for a complete overhaul of everything.  That includes the frame and fork.  So, I carefully remove the components, then scrub the bare frame and fork with a soapy toothbrush.  Next, a close inspection.  I hope to find no structural damage, but know full well the history of all those miles.

There's a keeper.

Relief.  I discern no cracks, dings, bends or other post-fabrication structural modifications.  The frame and fork look good.  Very good.  Good for another 12,000 miles at least.

I spot a couple of superficial issues.  The underside of the down tube appears, at first, to have suffered a substantial number of paint chips.  However, almost all turn out to be grimy splotches of petroleum-based somethings that eventually clean off with the right solvent and some elbow grease.  I did find a half dozen or so actual paint chips, primarily on the frame on the drive side chain stay near the crank set.  That's not unexpected nor uncommon.  I patch those with hobby store enamel.

I also find some paint rub where the Revelate Designs frame pack contacts the frame, but only enough to slightly dull the paint in a small area in a few places.  "That's just normal wear and tear, dude."

The graceful curve of a steel fork helps smooth out those rough roads.

No need to replace this frame or fork.  Not yet.  But if I did, it would be for the current monster cross from Black Mountain Cycles.  Mike Varley recently tweaked this beauty by slightly increasing the fork offsets and the head tube height, adding a third set of water bottle bosses, and changing to a Pacenti fork crown with even greater tire clearance.  A fine bike refined.

I'd like a new one just to hang on the wall, although not riding it would be a crying shame.  So, no new gravel frame or fork for me.

Addendum 1.  I did not remove the Velo-Orange Grand Cru head set.  There's really not much to do with this, other than clean it up a bit and confirm that it's working properly.  Again, no issues here.

Addendum 2.  This is a rim brake only, steel frame and fork, which for me is a major advantage in ride quality.  I do not find disc brakes or carbon anything to be an upgrade, contrary to conventional marketing.  But that's beyond the scope of this post.