Break On Thru

After much consideration, I finally decided to go with a SRAM drivetrain for the new Pugsley. Unfortunately Shimano simply makes it too difficult because they don't participate in the fat bike market.

The first thing I purchased was an Eagle GX Dub crankset.

Unfortunately, I did not realize all my Shimano bottom bracket tools are not compatible with the Dub cups. To the Internet!

Tool ordered, but it won't be here for a few days. Oh well, I had one more thing I could do.

One of the things that drove me nuts about the old Pugsley was rear wheel removal. Getting the cassette past the derailleur with the horizontal dropouts was a nightmare that usually ended with greasy hands, a little blood and a lot of profanity.

The new frame alleviates this, but only if you use a thru axle. This allows the wheel to be dropped out vertically rather than horizontally.

Luckily my rear hub is a DT Swiss 350, which can be converted. The new end caps were simple to change out and I have a new appreciation for the modular design of DT Swiss hubs (although I am still a Shimano hub fan at heart).

So it was a short day in the shop, but I am ever so much closer to a running bike.

Later.

Honzo, We Hardly Knew You

The Honzo frame that sat in my office for a few years is gone. The purge continues.

Ultimately I just don't think it offered anything beyond what the other hardtails I'm riding do. And it was heavy as hell. And it only had one set of water bottle mounts. And it was kind of funny looking with the weird seat tube thing.

Later.

Status: It's Complicated

I kind of decided as I approach 53 years of age that I am likely no longer a single speeder. I haven't had the urge to explore the pain cave that is single speeding in a couple years now.

I had been holding on to my DT Swiss 240S wheels for a while just in case, but it was time to let them go. I put them on the Kona Unit and it sold pretty quickly.

It feels pretty weird. I have been riding a single speed since 2001 when I bought a Surly 1x1. Since then I have owned many different single speeds. I mean, my user name on a number of platforms is "SS29er." I guess I should change it now? Nah. I'll keep my options open just in case. SS29er lives on. For now.

Later.