Oops.  I added another bike.  This one is a Surly Steamroller, and it’s pretty basic.  I didn’t change much, but I did steal the 35mm WTB All-Terrainasarus tyres off of the Gunnar, used the original c. 1994 105 aero levers off of the Trek, and found some old SPD pedals in the garage.

The plan is to commute to work this winter to spare the Gunnar and Trek the indignity of commuting in the rain, and spare me the tedium of draining water from the Gunnar’s chainstays and bottom bracket after every ride.

Impressions of the Surly Steamroller:

• The stock brake blocks are terrible.  I like brakes that work, so I’m going to swap them for some Dura Ace cartridges and pads.
• The weird/bent WTB saddle isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
• 165mm cranks on a 56cm frame is a strage spec;  170-175mm cranks would have been more sane.
• No rear brake cable guides/stops or downtube cage mount. Really? At least the brake bridge and fork crown are drilled.

My solution for the lack of cable stops or guides:

So far this season, I’ve raced the Eriksen in both of the 2012 AMTBC enduros.  The first was a four-hour at Mt. Torrens, where I raced solo.  The second was a six-hour at Craigburn Farm, where I raced on a two-man team.

The Mt. Torrens track is always fun with great downhills, but it’s also difficult with long, technical climbs.  My race went well with no mechanical issues.  However, riding across the very fast and rocky top section, I was contemplating the advantages of the 4″ FS 29er following me.  Bouncing off rocks for four hours can be fun, but big wheels and some travel would make it less painful.  In the end, I finished in the middle of the pack at 27th of 45.  More importantly, here’s what happened according to Strava.

On to Craigburn Farm. This is currently one of my favorite trails, and the track layout for the enduro was excellent.  The race covered almost all of the trails in the park, and the conditions were perfect thanks to rain the night before the race.  I’m happy with my six laps (our team did a total of eleven), and I set several personal records (PR) on many segments in Strava.   Better yet, there was a coffee van at the race, so I got to sit and relax with a latte between laps– I’m not sure if that helped my lap tims.  Anyway, of the 20 teams racing we finished 7th: one lap up on 8th, and within a few minutes of 5th and 6th.  Again, here is an account of the race from Strava’s perspective.

Aside from briefly coveting a FS 29er at the Mt. Torrens enduro, I’ve been vary happy with the Eriksen.  The new SID Team fork has been great, and the WTB Bronson 2.3 front tyre has been a good compromise between grip, weight and volume, with grip and volume being it’s strengths.  The 1×9 drivetrain with a 32t ring and 11-34 cassette has worked out well, although the 34t cog has been of limited use– a 33t or 34t ring might make a better pair to the 11-34 cassette.  While I’d like to take the rigid 29er out for another enduro, it’s hard to pass on the relatively cushy ride that the Eriksen’s Ti frame and 100mm fork provide.

Official race results for both races are posted on the new and improved AMTBC site.

In preparation for a muddy winter, I swapped my Wolverine 2.2 front tyre for a Bronson 2.3 TCS.  I took it out for a ride at Craigburn Farm last week, and I think I have new favorite tyre.

The normally dusty trails at Craigburn were fast, thanks to a recent rain.  With the Bronson on the front, I set several personal best times on some of the descents and had a lot of fun doing it.  On the down side, I was having so much fun throwing the bike around, I slashed the side wall on the rear Wolverine 2.2.  While the rip was too much for the sealant to take care of, a spare tube did the trick and it held for the rest of the ride.

What else?  WTB’s Tubeless Compatible System, TCS, actually works.  I was able to mount and easily inflate the Bronson with a floor pump and no sealant–  I added one scoop (~60ml) of Stans sealant after the bead was seated.  This is a huge improvement over the Ignitors, Crossmarks and Wolverine (non-TCS) that I’ve mounted tubeless.

I’ll be replacing the non-TCS Wolverine 2.2 with the TCS version when it wears out (or I slash the sidewall).  Speaking of which, the non-TCS Wolverine took three scoops (~180ml) of Stans to seal up and stop seeping air through the sidewalls.  The weight difference in the extra sealant makes up for a significant portion of the TCS weight penalty.

For those who care, my Bronson 2.3 TCS weighs in at 790g and measures in at 2.095″ wide at the casing and 2.280″ at the tread inflated to 28psi on Mavic 819 rims.  The Wolverine 2.2 weighs 590g and measures in at 2.120″ at the casing and tread at same pressure on the same rim.