Bicicleta Gorda Anaranjada

I starting building up the new Pugsley this morning. Unlike the old one, this one actually looks like a mountain bike.

Compared to my old medium Pugs, this new large frame has a shorter seat tube, longer top tube and longer head tube—all good things.

The handlebars are just a placeholder for now. I haven't decided what to use, but it may well be another pair of Jones bars.

The rear end takes either a 135mm QR (currently, with Surly adapter washers) or 142mm thru axle. I am happy to have a DT Swiss 350 hub in back so I can easily convert it to a 142mm thru axle with new end caps. This will make wheel removal much easier, which has historically been a huge hassle on Surly bikes with newer Shimano derailleurs.

Speaking of Shimano, I have not decided how to approach the drivetrain. I have an XT 11-speed setup ready to go, but an 11-42 is lacking gear range for a fat bike. You can put a tiny chainring on the front to compensate, but then obviously lose some high end. This bike will eventually have another wheelset built for it so I can use it on vacation like I did with the old Pugs. A 32-tooth chainring is the smallest I want. So maybe Sram Eagle is the way to go.

Later.

New Pugs

I just ordered a new Pugs frame. As I mentioned before, I kept the offset fat wheels and tires from the old one, so it won't take much to build up. I bought it for 25% off, which is nice.

The new model addresses the issues I didn't like about the old one. I moved up to a size large from the previous medium (they shortened seat tube lengths), so I will feel much less cramped. Should be fun.

Later.

Thinning

The Pugs is gone.

I probably hadn't used it in fat bike mode since Roger and I rode on the beach in Monterey, and that was Christmas of 2017. I enjoy riding a fat bike in certain situations, but this particular bike wasn't my favorite. The geometry is weird and outdated.

I substituted a bunch of parts I wanted to be rid of, so there wasn't anything on the bike I was in love with—narrow bars, long stem, 10-speed drivetrain, torn seat, creaky seatpost, heavy tires, really old brakes.

I kept the most expensive part of the bike, the 26x4 wheels and tires, so there is still the possibility that I build a new bike. I am looking at the new Pugsley numbers in an effort to determine if they corrected the things I hated about the old one.

Later.

Spacing Out

The purchase of the Jones created a situation where there was one more bike in the garage than hooks to hang them on. A huge problem, I know. I sold the Casseroll and the world is back in sync again.

I had actually been trying to sell the Salsa since last August, long before purchasing the Jones even entered my mind.

I bought the Casseroll new in 2009 as a single speed on clearance for $735. I unloaded some of the parts on eBay for about $250 and felt pretty good about it.

The only original parts left when I sold the bike were the frame, fork and brakes. It was built with mostly Dura Ace 9-speed parts originating in the last century. I sold it for $550. It was a good bike, but I saw an opportunity to unload a very old parts set and clear some needed space. The current gravel bike also made it redundant.

Later.