mvrider
04-03-2016, 08:22 PM
My riding buddy and I experienced a Bay Area treat yesterday: a mixed road/dirt loop that involved Old Haul Rd on our cross bikes. I can just imagine Jobst Brandt leading a group down the same road decades before. The second-growth forest was deserted and magical. On the way down to that valley, the interplay of fog and sun was spectacular. The capper was the mad descent down the single-track remains of Alpine Rd. I was really wishing for a suspension fork then! We were very thankful to be alive and to be living near such wonderful riding.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/utd5mif9PHZwUFJ3cD9oGMkZ-GdVhVZibw97pKxlASrvuEcofLJnvVkfr-6WOhikVnicgdEN8GK2xL4TRR_cxS_bIWlkXSN4FEeo3EBpLvVL tOi21dSuzipFsvBPcsOm2yuDHFgCTBRxCFiZW3KababRrll9nK BikkKMUkk8xmBSBLcmw3_J_FNjkE6z8uASgWXqT3CW3vXX-wxhLgVOtsZs8iNa8B_IcWiQyneJEt7CXus2YBvQp9djhqBDwz2 VOB6ukcdZYtESpcyhA6JRtgA9hpFQF2RMhtAZblsJnhQLcyThf VDmcWBp-kymPE3zYNnu-CjfMVdXkx-AK9X4SD5RbUGCj4ubClEtIoXklPNBFRafz6lY_AZfcq2EXXhQg yOFgmm9L3NXHf9FuYcqYP2fBl9lXI_2azX3NzBu2BXoRjyM4KA BbFKUpcW_Bg5Y03fewv3K_c4RuPmpkF1lW8v0LlQIXiFzJmg_3 SSlOOst5zjFOUKp2c2rlgHtYDCm9nyWWi_FpZ3SAolHM6dMcOH whiGe9J_OHmkdKCP-0dBuVEVUj_6iSi8mX5vlO1A=w480-h640-no
Higher res photo here (https://goo.gl/photos/3b9hNwgeSQtAs2KA8).
In preparation for a long MTB ride (I don't own an MTB), I had Tom at Velotech convert the crankset and FD for really low gearing. I was appreciative of the granny gears on the steep climb out of the forest. The drivetrain is now quite a mash-up of Shimano gear:
10s Ultegra shifters (6700)
10s XT crankset 38-24
10s CX70 front derailleur
10s Dynasys cassette 11-36
9s XT rear derailleur
It all shifted perfectly, and made no noise, even in the worst-case 38/36 combination. With 38-11, I spun out at 28 mph, but on cross tires, who cares?
The only downside I found is that the small front rings allowed the chain to slap against the chain stay a lot more. I applied extra-thick helicopter tape as a precaution.
From my house, our loop (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/12803000) was 36 miles, 5200 ft of climbing.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KhjWaNKVc4QeZ1emyL_k2rjVwMqx8tXFiCPyphyvzozg6zEZy7 mTgMcGYnA46aRmqdrodaB3uNN8YYLfMSCyonV-hxfm_G_-MrQd2DSraaG3ZNf5rFajs9m2x7QWkURGKItJo0UCp2QUjgXcWd RDmbNRNGhUJUtIufodpxLgzRYOzfAzGpMYjnaNNwoI6USC_CAy PsnF_tasEisiL7BXRJpb8mczccryl-hkDZuf276ahlSPO7H6nDZ6iRl59HBnH8e0Vpb8hXJtlYeNxzzg H330MrJBuXRzw8goCf3_ErBVhJ9dNyXPDkV_R77skss-0xdwbgfpMM7SCfxiC_m0KHW43Y8ecE0v0bA-dvZvIlHcONj9gdnv4rIjR_cVr0p1eW3R4815zUvJVuvlN0wZs9 Ee98yod1zgd4VVHAECqnJO-6kalypj0akAbBiycJTzXfgS6duwZzsMAq0CXMOzrtYynCGb8II qXxvppGhOsbO1F3Zav-MxhVhhp3zVFxgPctrxHDPOMg2GhXyQV3z2iEej6T5YZ_cgsd3c CDjwLM1vWeNIQhnLho4eYRwmdFY=w577-h640-no
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/utd5mif9PHZwUFJ3cD9oGMkZ-GdVhVZibw97pKxlASrvuEcofLJnvVkfr-6WOhikVnicgdEN8GK2xL4TRR_cxS_bIWlkXSN4FEeo3EBpLvVL tOi21dSuzipFsvBPcsOm2yuDHFgCTBRxCFiZW3KababRrll9nK BikkKMUkk8xmBSBLcmw3_J_FNjkE6z8uASgWXqT3CW3vXX-wxhLgVOtsZs8iNa8B_IcWiQyneJEt7CXus2YBvQp9djhqBDwz2 VOB6ukcdZYtESpcyhA6JRtgA9hpFQF2RMhtAZblsJnhQLcyThf VDmcWBp-kymPE3zYNnu-CjfMVdXkx-AK9X4SD5RbUGCj4ubClEtIoXklPNBFRafz6lY_AZfcq2EXXhQg yOFgmm9L3NXHf9FuYcqYP2fBl9lXI_2azX3NzBu2BXoRjyM4KA BbFKUpcW_Bg5Y03fewv3K_c4RuPmpkF1lW8v0LlQIXiFzJmg_3 SSlOOst5zjFOUKp2c2rlgHtYDCm9nyWWi_FpZ3SAolHM6dMcOH whiGe9J_OHmkdKCP-0dBuVEVUj_6iSi8mX5vlO1A=w480-h640-no
Higher res photo here (https://goo.gl/photos/3b9hNwgeSQtAs2KA8).
In preparation for a long MTB ride (I don't own an MTB), I had Tom at Velotech convert the crankset and FD for really low gearing. I was appreciative of the granny gears on the steep climb out of the forest. The drivetrain is now quite a mash-up of Shimano gear:
10s Ultegra shifters (6700)
10s XT crankset 38-24
10s CX70 front derailleur
10s Dynasys cassette 11-36
9s XT rear derailleur
It all shifted perfectly, and made no noise, even in the worst-case 38/36 combination. With 38-11, I spun out at 28 mph, but on cross tires, who cares?
The only downside I found is that the small front rings allowed the chain to slap against the chain stay a lot more. I applied extra-thick helicopter tape as a precaution.
From my house, our loop (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/12803000) was 36 miles, 5200 ft of climbing.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KhjWaNKVc4QeZ1emyL_k2rjVwMqx8tXFiCPyphyvzozg6zEZy7 mTgMcGYnA46aRmqdrodaB3uNN8YYLfMSCyonV-hxfm_G_-MrQd2DSraaG3ZNf5rFajs9m2x7QWkURGKItJo0UCp2QUjgXcWd RDmbNRNGhUJUtIufodpxLgzRYOzfAzGpMYjnaNNwoI6USC_CAy PsnF_tasEisiL7BXRJpb8mczccryl-hkDZuf276ahlSPO7H6nDZ6iRl59HBnH8e0Vpb8hXJtlYeNxzzg H330MrJBuXRzw8goCf3_ErBVhJ9dNyXPDkV_R77skss-0xdwbgfpMM7SCfxiC_m0KHW43Y8ecE0v0bA-dvZvIlHcONj9gdnv4rIjR_cVr0p1eW3R4815zUvJVuvlN0wZs9 Ee98yod1zgd4VVHAECqnJO-6kalypj0akAbBiycJTzXfgS6duwZzsMAq0CXMOzrtYynCGb8II qXxvppGhOsbO1F3Zav-MxhVhhp3zVFxgPctrxHDPOMg2GhXyQV3z2iEej6T5YZ_cgsd3c CDjwLM1vWeNIQhnLho4eYRwmdFY=w577-h640-no