Another Big Wheel joins the Team
Posted by Doug Young
I thought I’d take this opportunity in the relative off season to introduce the bike I’ll be racing for the Big Wheel Team on smoother terrain. I have been piloting a Ti Seven Sola 26er HT for buff single track courses, but last fall I began to think about getting back on a 29er. I had in the past ridden a Ti Airborne B29 with a White Bros fork. Unfortunately, in the early days of the 29er revolution the bike was relatively heavy at 24-25lbs and steered like a truck. That drove me to the Seven Sola. A world class racing frame no doubt and at 22lbs one of most responsive mt. bikes I have ever ridden.
I had heard that the newer 29er forks had greater offsets designed to improve their steering response and that there was now a few frame options that would rival the Sola in weight. So I began looking for my next race chassis. I decided to go with the lightest 29er frame on the market; an Orbea Alma 29er (available at High Desert Bicycles). I had never ridden a carbon frame and I had some concerns, but I decided to take the plunge.
To keep this short and to the point, the build came in at 22.6lbs as you see it here. The few rides I’ve done so far have exhibited a nice neutral type of handling that for the most part feels like riding a 26er. Yes, there’s still the tendency to go wide on the apex of turns that you have to correct for in your line, but the small steering inputs required to maneuver in tight technical sections is as reactive as any of my other race bikes. The days of a 29er feeling like steering a John Deere Tractor are gone.
The carbon frame (and perhaps it is the parallelogram design of the Orbea) feels soft but responsive. It’s definitely not as harsh a ride as an aluminum frame, but I’m not ready to say it’s as smooth as a Ti ride. Some where in between. However, the acceleration snap is there. Obviously with the 29er wheels, not as sharp as the Sola, but pretty responsive none the less.
The build includes Bontrager Race X Lite Cranks with their XXX Lite stem and bar. The transmission is controlled by SRAM XO grip shifts and derailleur’s. Also on tap are Avid’s Juicy Ultimate brakes. I’ve matched these to a set of Stan’s Aluminum Rotors and Kool Stop Organic brake pads.
This combination really woke me up. Not so much because it’s a really light weight setup, but more because of the nice soft braking modulation of organic pads on an aluminum rotor. The modulation on this setup is awesome. I can’t say enough about this; it really does feel smooth without being grabby. Perfect for giving you that minor adjustment through the technical descents.
The bike is presently fitted with Fox’s new F29er fork which feels great. The compression damping is spot on and with the lockout you can really hammer well on it. Unfortunately for Fox, I’m planning to replace this fork with a Rock Shox Reba 29er Race. Why? All the major forks today have great dampening systems, but Rock Shox is the only company offering a remote lock out. I have come to really appreciate their Pop-Lock on my other bikes and how it allows you to lock and release without having to take your hands off the bars. It makes me wonder why the other brands haven’t followed suit. Oh well, their loss in my book.
I’d also like to acknowledge with a special thanks to Matt Turgeon for his insight into wheel selection. I fitted the bike with a set of American Classic MTB 29er wheels and I couldn’t be happier. These turned out to be some of the lightest wheels around. And they feel smooth over the rough stuff. These replaced a set of high dollar Reynolds Carbon Fiber wheels and they seem to have a smoother feel to them. Then again, it may be my brain not worrying as much about blowing up a rim on a rock. I guess I’m not ready to trust carbon in a wheel set.
I combined these with the Specialized S-works Captain rear tire and a Specialized Fast Trak up front. I have a similar combination on the Sola with a Roll-X rear with Fast Trak front tire. I’ve had a couple rides on the Captain/Fast Trak combination and I can say without a doubt that they are great together. The blocky rear tread design of the Captain grabs well on the loose granite conditions of Albuquerque’s South Foothills trails. The tight knob pattern of the Fast Trak with its nice side ribs allows the front tire to track effortlessly, roll smoothly, but bite well into the tightest turns. I never feel like I’m going to push the front end out.
At this point all I need to do is fit a set of Ergon GC2 Grips on my bars and it will be ready to rumble. Mas-o-Menos here I come.