Q & A

First there was a question and I had an answer:

From rootsradicals@yahoo.com cargo bike listserve,

"I'd like a tire that can handle some off-road/gravel/hard-pack/maybe some mud, but which will also be fairly low rolling resistance on the the street. Right now I think my Xtracycle will see mostly street duty, but I'd like to have tires on it that will serve for those times that I might ride on the rough stuff. Also, after seeing some blog posts by a guy who uses his Big Dummy to carry equipment out to his research sites, I've been inspired by the idea of maybe using my Xtracycle to get out to do camping, birding, carrying my boat, etc."

So replied with this,

As a guy who has written "some blog posts by a guy who uses his Big Dummy to carry equipment out to his research sites"  I'll throw my two cents out there. 

(I don't know for sure if it was my posts that you read or not, but if there is somebody else hauling research equipment with a Dummy I'd love to have the link and the chance to pick his brain.)

First off I see you bought the Kendas.  Looked like a great deal on a quality tire, I hope you enjoy them and report back when you've got some miles and an opinion on them.

As for my set up, I am a tire tinkerer.  I enjoy experimenting with different tire/rim combos just to see what happens.  On the BigDonkey I've tried a number of things including:  2.4 Maxxis Holy Rollers, 3.7 Surly Endomorph (up front only), 3.0 Nokian Gazzaloddi, 2.1 Bontrager 'generic style mountainbike tires', 29x2.35 Schwalbe Big Apples, and my favorite set up 26x2.35 Big Apples.

All of these tires were run on a widish (~44mm) Alex DM24 rim, and a couple also spent time on a modified Sun Ringle Double wide.

If you were posing this question regarding a non-longtail setup, I would hands down recommend the Holy Rollers (which I've run in the summer on couple different bikes, including my Surly 1x1), but a cargobike is a different beast.
This spring a gypsy I crossed path with traded me some Holy Rollers he had for the Big Apples I'd been running on my Dummy.  A few thousand miles later he was switching to full on fat tires and offered to mail my Big Apples back to me, to which I enthusiastically said 'yes'.  I swapped the Holy Rollers off and slapped the Big Apples back on and everything was again right with the world.  Not that the Holy Rollers were bad or lacking, but I just find the Big Apples to be a little nicer, a little quieter, a little smoother and a little more pleasant to ride.

The Big Apples plenty of traction for almost all of the trail riding I do on the Dummy.  The long, stable cargo bike isn't getting rallied through corners quite the same way a regular bike would so cornering traction isn't a huge issue.
The flat protection from the tires is fantastic and the ride quality is super plush.  I think Gypsy Nick rode something like 3,000 flat free,  loaded, touring miles on my well used Big Apples before mailing them back. 

A flat tire on a loaded cargobike could be particularly inconvenient.
Knock on wood, but in the past 3 years I've had no flats on the Big Donkey that I can recall.
I have however shifted the chain off the top of the cassette a couple of times and learned how annoying rear wheel repairs in the field can be.

I've had more than one instance of slamming hard into an unavoidable rock and feeling my rim make contact with the rim.  Not only have I escaped without pinch flats, but I've also not had to true the rims.
It looks like the Schwalbe Fat Franks would also be a excellent option and perhaps provide a hair more traction.

Just my thoughts, no more right or wrong than anyone else's, but I'll put them out there for what they're worth.




Then I had a question I sent out to Allman and Gypsy Nick that went something like this:

Subject:  Thoughts?

6 miles through the woods to school. 

4 miles on paths home.

2 hours later, in the garage, rear tire is flat . . . tear at the valve stem (presta).

2 nights in a row.

Additional information available upon request.

I have a theory or two, but would be curious if you had any additional insight.


After all the holiday thankfulness I have to say I'm thankful to be able find answers to bike questions on the internet.  Not too long ago things were a lot different. 
Resources and answers were quite limited by today's standards, I try not to take it for granted.

The Past Few Days

Bikes, friends, kids, fishing, family, some science and a wheel build.

We had a public use cabin reserved for a couple nights out on a lovely lake.  Allman, Poundcake and Fi rode out hang out the first night.

Trucking in a few odds and ends.

Little reeled this one in all on his own.

Friends and fires.

Bikes, boats and science.

I've had some disc specific Velocity rims laying around since last spring's bike swap. I had visions of building up a coaster brake wheel for the 1x1 or doing a fancier build with some of the new Surly Ultra Hubs, but financial realities weren't going to allow any of that to happen anytime soon.

New hubs came in the mail from my brother's LBS.

I had some birthday slowly burning a hole in my pocket the past 5 months.  I managed to swing a price match deal on some Shimano hubs that would allow me to build some wheels sooner rather than later. 

Now to do some spoke calculating.

You Know They Are There

You know they're there.  I pack pepper spray much of the year, just in case. 


But it is rare that you get a good look at one.

I was cruising down the bike path, over the South Fork Campbell Creek bridge,  with Allman when we spotted something moving through the grass below us.  At first glance I thought it was a young moose (a relatively common sight).  A second glance confirmed it was a shaggy brown bear (grizzly, if you will) out on the town. 

Unfortunately the squeal of disk brakes spooked it a bit, but not before we got a good look.

Pretty cool to see such a massive wild animal from a safe vantage point when you're out riding around  at 11:30pm.

Dummy, Donkey Day

I had some science to get done this weekend.
I thought I had help lined up, but it fell through at the last minute.
Allman had plans to go fishing, but those fell apart so I invited him and his Dummy to come help with my field work.

He was game, and a pleasant day of off-road cargo biking ensued.

Donkey and Dummy

Fat fronted Donkey

A few puddles, but mostly dry trails

You never know what might happen in the mountains so it's good to be prepared.  Allman chose to bring a spare helmet and an extra set of wheels.

A few snowy sections, but not as bad as I had anticipated

We had day of variable weather: Wind and snow, followed by sun and blue skies

Springtime in Alaska

Rotors and Records

I finished up the semester on friday.
Provided I pass quantitative methods it will officially be the end of coursework for my master's degree, and quite possibly for good. (Not feeling the need for a PhD at the moment).

I've still have research and thesis work to complete, so LOTS of work ahead, but it still felt like a significant milestone.

So how do I indulge myself and celebrate?

With a large dose of bikes, that's how.

Spent friday evening in the garage swapping rotors around, and throwing this new Ashima rotor in the mix.  I figure with 160mm rotors all the way around I end up with the ability to readily swap front wheels between five different bikes if need be.

To add to the celebration I watched Graeme Obree's story of tackling the hour record in the Flying Scotsman.
I remember him breaking the record, then losing it, then . . . . .  well you'll just have to watch it yourself.

I've been meaning to see the movie for a few years, just haven't slowed down enough to indulge in movie watching in a long time.
Favorite part: When Francesco Moser pulls the stick out so to speak and starts cheering for Obree.

Rotors and Records

Saturday night went from moose burgers on the grill to some wrenching and riding with old friends.

Allman, GSC and I met Mrs. for her commute home.

Been too long since we've had a late night rally around town with friends.
Honestly doesn't get much more fun than that for me.