Fat biking in Bennies Corners

This is part of the trail network I helped create with Phil Maier and a bunch of other dedicated volunteers. 2020 was my last year of direct involvement in building and maintaining our local trails, after 10 years of sweat and smiles. The trail-building torch is now passed on to a new group of volunteers who have done a great job of building out the network, leaving me more time and options to ride!

The Bennies Corners and Sugarbush sections (located across from each other on the 7th line Ramsay Township) are groomed with a Snow Dog by Phil and his crew. This year there's been unusually little snow, so the trail is bare, icy, and treacherous in many places. Studs recommended, although I don't ride with them. (I refuse to pay $350 per tire for studs!) Also strongly recommended that you bring a spare tube if you ride tubeless, and unless there's snow, keep your tires pumped above 12 psi or you're likely to pinch-flat on jagged rocks. Of my last three rides here, I flatted and broke a crank bolt on one (resulting in a 3 lm walkout because I forgot my tube in the car), and bent a derailleur hanger on another. Third time lucky: no damage!

If you ride all the options at Bennies Corners, you can easily clock about 15km of mostly flowy single track. Highly recommended for a day trip in the Ottawa area. Parking available at the end of the 8th line (just past the Mill of Kintail), or along the road on 7th line. Note that the 8th line entrance can be mushy after a thaw. The 7th line/Sugarbush entrance allows you to warm up on the easy Sugarbush section before heading into the more technical options on the Bennies Corners side of the road.

More mountain biking trails in Lanark County

If you're looking for new places to mountain bike in the Ottawa area, happily there are several more options today than even five years ago. However, for a region that's chock-full of beautiful forests, rocky Canadian Shield, rivers, and parks--all the raw material to become a world-class mountain biking destination--it's still somewhat incredible and disappointing there isn't more single track available to the public. Nevertheless, the Ottawa Mountain Biking Association (OMBA) has worked tirelessly with the National Capital Commission to slowly ease open some trail access in Gatineau Park. Larose Forest has seen the recent and rapid development of a well-regarded trail network for summer and winter riding. Further up the Ottawa River Valley, BORCA and others continue to improve networks at Forest Lea and along the Ottawa River near Beachburg. 

Just 30 minutes west of Ottawa in Almonte, I'm happy to report that the Mississippi Valley Trails (MVT) network I started with a small group of volunteers ten years ago is now enjoying rapid expansion and improvements for summer and winter riding as well. I've now passed over stewardship of the trail network to the Lanark County Mountain Biking Association (LCMBA) which is run by the same group of volunteers. Originally we had the trail insured and organized under the auspices of OMBA, but with the growth of local activity it made sense to form a new, separate trail management organization with its own liability insurance. 

As with any trail network, maintaining access depends on users respecting the landowners and trail rules. This spring we lost access to one section of private lands connecting the MVT section to the Mill of Kintail and Bennies Corners sections. This was unfortunate, because it meant splitting what used to be an almost 30km out-and-back ride into two separate areas with no good connection between them. However, it's understandable why the landowner closed access: a small minority of riders and dog-walkers consistently ignored requests to stay on the trail (or stay off it altogether when the entry was barricaded) and trespassed onto actively farmed lands. 

On a personal note, after ten years of grubbing out single track and wrangling land access, I need a break to deal with other life events and to spend more time actually riding. LCMBA has a good handle on taking the network to the next level. I'm thankful for LCMBA's efforts, and the growing popularity of the trails is proof that things are headed in the right direction for year-round riding. Ten years ago I knew everyone who rode; now it's rare if I run into someone I know. If you haven't checked out the LCMBA network, it's well worth a day trip. Almonte also offers many excellent options for food and drink before or after your ride. You can even jump into the river to cool off at Rock Bottom, the historic swimming hole just downstream of the town along the MVT section. 

As always, please respect the core trail rules: stay on the trail, ensure your pets are leashed, and do not leave litter or poop bags. If you're considerate of the landowners, there will be more opportunities to grow and maintain the network for many more years to come.

Ibis Hakka MX gravel bike: Review

With all the hype around gravel bikes recently, it's perfectly understandable why you may be rolling your eyes at the thought of adding yet another miracle-bike to your quiver. So let's cut to the chase: If for some horrible reason I had to choose to keep just one bike in my own quiver (which includes high-end versions of a road bike, XC mountain bike, fat bike, single-speed, and now a gravel bike), it'd be the gravel bike without question. It's like buying a dual-sport motorcycle and I consider it my Tenere 700 of bicycles: not the fastest on the pavement or most capable in the extreme technical, but a perfect compromise for adventures and exploration.

I'm late to the gravel-bike craze but not new to riding gravel, having gotten into the dirty side of cycling back in 1987 when I first tried mountain biking in France, of all places. (At the time, road-riding was king and mountain biking was still only gaining a foothold in North America.) Of course, there was cycle-cross, and die-hard roadies were also no stranger to cobbled roads in the European race scene. But bikes for the rough stuff at the time were mostly steel or aluminum-framed, wheels were skinny and so was the rubber, and frame geometry was dominated by the hunched-over aero posture of the roadie world. Compared with today's purpose-built and finely-tuned machines, yesterday's bikes offer little in terms of comfort, handling, and performance on rough surfaces. Good riddance as far as I'm concerned! 

Enter Ibis Bicycles out of Santa Cruz, California. Unlike industry giants such as Trek and Specialized, Ibis and its mere dozen or so employees are well down into the boutique-brand category. But their pedigree reaches back to the very origins of mountain biking and they've justly earned a reputation for creating ground-breaking designs that encapsulate passion, and perform as exquisitely well as they look. At Ibis, innovation is incremental and thoughtful. They meticulously refine their designs and details to truly enhance the enjoyment of riding, rather than follow the latest flashy trends.

The Hakka MX carbon frame with the matching Enve carbon fork is Ibis's only gravel offering and the only one they need to offer since it is capable of bike-packing as well. In choosing this frame I'd also considered options from Norco, Cervelo, and a few other brands. I ruled those out because I wanted a threaded bottom bracket, and many of the other brands have recently moved to press-fit because it's easier to manufacturer. For my purposes, I don't see practical benefits to a press-fit bottom bracket, and in fact it's more of a detriment in terms of maintainability. Choosing a threaded design reduced my options considerably, but fortunately the Hakka MX is a solid choice by any measure. 

While it's not the lightest frame set available (mine runs just over 1000 g in 58 cm), it's extremely solid and that's what I wanted given I'm 87 kg and tend to ride hard. Ibis offers a decent build kit around Shimano's new GRX group, but I worked with a local bike shop (Phat Moose - thanks guys!) to create a my own custom build which actually ended up being cheaper and lighter (the complete bike weighs 9.15kg or 20.1 lbs, which is quite respectable): 

• Easton EA90 Cinch crankset, 1 x 11 with 40T chainring  
• Wheels Manufacturing T47 bottom bracket
• Shimano GRX RD-RX812 rear derailleur with CS-M8000 11 speed 11-40T cassette
• Shimano GRX RX810 hydraulic disc brakes and levers
• Easton EX70 bar stem (80mm, 7º) and EC70 AX carbon bar (46cm)
• Race Face Next carbon seat post and WTB Volt saddle
• DT Swiss 350 MTB hubs with XM401 700cc x 22.5mm rims and DT Competition spokes
• Panaracer Gravel King SK 700x43mm tubeless tires

Although this is my first experience with 11-speed, I've been running 1x on my fat bike and mountain bike (Santa Cruz Tallboy) for years and have not felt the need to reinstall a front derailleur. Unless your consistently tackling extremely steep terrain, I've found modern cassettes to offer plenty of range for a 1x setup. If anything, I could use higher gearing for speed, and on the Hakka I indeed ended up swapping the 40T front ring for a 44T, since that was cheaper than replacing the cassette. This allowed me to run the chain one cog lower on the cassette, keeping the chainline more centered for the bulk of my riding at 30-35km/hr. With the 40T, I was usually running in 9th and 10th on the cassette, and I was concerned about accelerated wearing those positions.

The GRX shifts far lighter and smoother than the 1998-era, 9-speed DuraAce on my road bike. The levers have a broad, flat surface on the side which is easy to press for one-finger shifting when you're hands are slippery with sweat. No shifting issues whatsoever under load or extreme chain lines, and even though it's a narrower chain, no issues with grit or mud yet, either. All the cabling is fully internal, so no risk of crap getting in to affect shifting. When building the bike, I routed the rear brake line and derailleur housing after installing the bottom bracket. It was a little tight, but relatively easy to fish the ends around the bottom bracket shell by using a dental pick through the lower frame port.

The wheels may seem like an ususual choice. In fact, they're a set of 29er mountain bike wheels I'd built up under my Rugged Wheels business but never sold. Most people don't seem to understand that 29er rims are equivalent to 700cc road rims, and the older (100/142mm, non-boost) hub spacing is now a common standard for CX/road/gravel bikes with thru-axles. DT Swiss uses an ingenious design that lets you swap hub end caps to give you 15mm, 12mm, or QR fitment. I happened to have a set of 12mm QR caps so was able to convert the front wheel from 15mm to 12mm thru-axle in seconds. The Panaracer tires sealed up beautifully and the whole package handles really well on pavement and gravel.

While the Hakka fits the 42mm tires no problem, they tread leaves barely two millimeters of clearance under the nifty fender holder in the rear. This isn't a problem for me since I'm not running fenders, but I'd have to choose a smaller tire if I change my mind. The 42mm tires are fantastic for the roads I ride, which are often potholed or washboarded, or have a layer of fresh, loose gravel on them, requiring some floatation to ride safely. The wider tires complement the stiffer frame and carbon seatpost to offer the benefits of good tracking and pedaling efficiency, as well as long-term comfort. Similarly, I could've chosen to build up some carbon wheels, but I wanted aluminum for some compliance. (I run a similar wheel in carbon on my XC mountain bike, but in that case a stiff wheel is desirable for better tracking, given there's suspension to deal with the bumps plus additional flex from pivots, etc.)

Overall the Hakka bits me beautifully - I got lucky with the initial setup and have only needed to make minor tweaks to fit my 183cm height. Some riders report that the frame feels overly stiff, but for my weight it's been extremely comfortable and I've been continually surprised by how far I've ridden this bike before feeling the need for a short break. The combination of clutch derailleur and internal routing for brake and derailleur makes it an absolutely silent ride even on rocky descents. No creaking or irritating vibrations - just the sweet sound of file-tread tires zinging along. The bars are super comfortable to ride on the tops or hoods, although the shape of the drop grip will take some getting used to after my road bike. Spacing between the front tire and my size 11-feet is tight but so far I haven't hit the tread with my toes. The bike feels stable on the straights and is nimble on technical trails. I ran out of gearing on a 15% loose, technical uphill--but that's more of a rider flaw than bike; I would've struggled on my mountain bike as well. 

In the past month I've ridden almost 900km of gravel and trails on the Hakka. From the first time I swung a leg over it I can honestly say it's rekindled my passion for cycling. A good gravel bike opens up so many new route options to explore and avoid traffic, that I can't imagine why any avid cyclist wouldn't want to give one a try. Makes me feel like a kid again! 

Two wheels and taxes: How life in two worlds helps me grow in both

The accounting profession is hardly the poster child for adventure. So what could my job as a Tax Partner in a 175-year-old global professional services firm possibly have in common with my passion for cycling and adventure motorcycling?

This was the question that sprang to mind while reading some of the musings of Mike Botan on advrider.com. Posting as “Ride2ADV”, Mike is living and recounting the dream of traveling the world on motorbikes with his wife. But before that, he worked as a lawyer in contract negotiation and procurement—also a profession not broadly known for risk-taking and excitement. Then I started to think about all the riders I know, many of whom are engineers, lawyers, accountants, mechanics, software designers, and the like. What gives here? 

For one thing, I’ve observed that many of the professionals I meet in these fields thrive on establishing and maintaining control, paying meticulous attention to detail, and solving complex problems. These characteristics certainly apply to me. Although my days are spent immersed in the world of corporate advisory and income tax work, acquaintances are often surprised to learn that my education is actually in physics, engineering and English. Never even took one finance course back in school! But throughout my career, first in high-tech and then as an advisor, I’ve learned by doing and through mentorship, solving hard technical and business problems where discipline, attention to detail, and planned outcomes are vital to success. 

Action on two wheels—motor optional—ticks many similar boxes for my inner control-freak. Central to the activity is the frankly bizarre need to balance on two wheels. Sure, it’s something most of us learned to do as a kid and now take for granted. But more advanced skills are needed to adapt to the increasing challenges posed by traveling far beyond the safety of the sidewalk in front of home. There’s mastering control at speed, learning how to turn on gravel, braking and steering down a descent on a rocky trail, jumping obstacles, negotiating water crossings. Incorporating a motor  increases the possible range and speeds, but adds new challenges of route-finding, navigation, traffic, risk, and more. Then there’s full-blown adventure: packing your home on the back of your bike and setting off for days or even months of exploration with potentially vastly different terrain, culture, and language. On top of it all is learning how to be self-sufficient and efficient, from looking after your own health to that of your bike and gear. 

All of these actions require planning, attention to detail, and continual practice and learning to master them and achieve an appropriate balance in all its forms. It means continual problem-solving, especially when the complexities of a motor are added to the mix. Sure, you can just “go for a ride”—and I certainly do that myself, whether it’s challenging my Strava PR’s on my road or mountain bike, ripping winter trails on my fat bike, or finding ghost towns on my motorbike. But in each case there’s a strong aspect of mindfulness required to avoid risk, achieve the desired outcome, and ultimately have fun in pursuing my passion. 

Riding helps me build mindfulness. Mindfulness in turn sparks my creativity and drives my ability to make valuable new insights and discoveries, both personally and professionally. For me, the concept of mindfulness encapsulates the themes shared between two wheels and taxes, particularly around exploration. That is, the discipline and skills required of each domain are also key qualities of a successful pathfinder. As a professional problem-solver and advisor, my role is really to be a pathfinder charged with the responsibilities of being a leader, helping people frame their issues, finding valuable new insights, mentoring along the journey, and avoiding unreasonable risks.  

Whether two wheels or taxes, it’s all about helping to improve myself and others by finding new paths to success—often on roads less-traveled.

How to get started in mountain biking

First of all, don't be intimidated by action shots of pros riding $12,000 bikes. There's plenty to enjoy and gain from mountain biking as a newbie, without spending insane amounts of money. In this post, I'll cover some basics learned from my own 30 years of mountain biking to help you get on the path of a thrilling and rewarding activity.

What is mountain biking?
Put simply, it's riding bicycles on predominantly natural-surface trails such as rutted dual track, tight single track, desert slick rock, and snowy winter tracks. Generally speaking, the steepness of a trail determines what kind of bike is most suitable. Long, technical descents with drop-offs and jumps is where beefy downhill bikes with long-travel suspension can make the difference between riding and walking. When you need to pedal uphill on relatively smooth trails over long distances, a flyweight cross-country bike is the best tool for the job. If your trails are covered in deep sand or snow, a fat bike with wide, low-pressure tires can make cycling not only possible, but fun. In between are countless variations of bike designs, riding styles, and trail types to optimize different aspects of the sport and cater to different riding interests.

For the purposes of this post, I'll focus on what's called "cross country" or "XC" mountain biking, as it's the least extreme of the variations and therefore a great entry point to build basic skills, fitness, and confidence, without entailing intimidating equipment and costs. I include fat biking on snow in the XC category, because the challenges are similar (perhaps even easier) and it's a fantastic way to get into mountain biking if you're stuck somewhere with long, snowy winters.

Why ride?
Swooping along a single-track trail, under your own power, is exhilarating. Over time, you build fitness and dexterity, enabling you to flow over and around obstacles like rocks, logs, puddles, etc. without hesitation, adding to the thrill. Tight trails magnify the impression of speed and allow a lot of fun to be condensed into a small area. The whole experience is tremendously liberating for your mind and body. The technical aspects force you to focus on the immediate here and now, pushing all the other daily stresses from your mind.

Mountain biking is also a highly social activity. In the North-East, popular trail networks like Valley Bras du Nord or Kingdom Trails can attract hundreds or even thousands of riders in a weekend, yet are extensive enough that groups of friends can ride and talk together without congestion. Popular riding areas often cater to mountain bikers with good accommodations, bike shops, post-ride food and beer, too.

What kind of bike do you need?
If you plan to ride mainly in the summer, look for a "cross country" or "trail" mountain bike. These designs do not need to withstand the forces of punishing, steep terrain, and therefore can be built at a lower cost. For instance, while front and rear suspension is desirable as it allows you to tackle rougher terrain, a hardtail design (no rear suspension) may suffice on smoother trails and eliminates significant weight, complexity, and cost.

Wheels size is another major variable in today's mountain bikes. Generally speaking, the larger the wheel diameter, the easier and faster it rolls over obstacles like roots and gravel. However, smaller diameter wheels are inherently stronger and more maneuverable. Consequently, modern cross-country and trail bikes tend to use 29" wheels, whereas bikes for downhill or extreme terrain typically use 27.5" wheels. If you're tall or over about 5'6", I recommend looking for a "29er" as its traction and ability to smooth out trail bumps can help you build confidence quickly. However, for riders under 5'6", it's harder to make a smaller bike with 29" wheels that handles well. As a result, some of the smaller bikes adopt 27.5" wheels to achieve both fit and handling. The original mountain bike wheel size, 26", is best avoided today. Most of the industry has long since moved on to 27.5" and 29" wheels, so you will likely face problems getting parts for an older bike with 26" wheels.

Many bike manufacturers offer designs specific to fit women, who generally have shorter torsos (and therefore reach) than men of a given height. Usually the key differences are reflected in the frame geometry, which is fundamental to fit. You can fine-tune fit by adjusting seat height and position, and  swapping out components such as the bar stem and handlebar to change their lengths, but major changes to these variables may detract from the bike's handling. This is why it's important to choose the right frame size as a starting point. A good bike shop can help you identify your frame size.

Frame materials for modern mountain bikes are mainly aluminum, carbon fibre, or a combination of the two. Aluminum is a proven, mature material in the bike industry. Excellent value can be achieved by selecting a bike with an aluminum frame, so that more of the cost can go towards better (more durable, lighter) components on the bike. Carbon fibre offers lighter weight, vibration damping, and highly tunable performance but at much higher cost.

When you're just starting out, a second-hand bike can make an excellent choice to learn what you like       to ride without breaking the bank. Mountain bikers tend to be gear weenies, with many upgrading their rides every 3-4 years (or sooner) to take advantage of the latest advancements in components and fashions. Unless they've completely thrashed their bike (uncommon with XC or Trail bikes; common with downhill bikes), you can often find a great deal that only needs a tune up and perhaps some common parts that are easily replaced (e.g. chain, cassette, brake pads, fork seals) to make the bike ride like new. Late summer is also a great time to buy a new bike, as shops are often trying to clear out their seasonal inventory.

To find a bike, start with a reputable bike shop and scour the classified postings on your local Facebook groups for mountain bikers. Anywhere there's a local chapter of the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) or a managed trail network will almost certainly have a vibrant market of good, used bikes and parts. Asking around can turn up some great deals.

Other recommended equipment

• Helmet. Many managed trail networks require riders to wear helmets for insurance and liability reasons. There are great helmet options available that don't look overly dorky and weigh hardly anything. Large vents are recommended, as is a "peak" to help shield your eyes from the sun, branches, bugs, and grit. If you're building skills, you're going to come off your bike--it's when, not if. And you'll probably find yourself upside down on rocks. A helmet will save your head. 
• Gloves. Full-finger gloves protect your hands when you bail, improve grip when you sweat, and reduce the effects of vibration.
• Riding shorts. Baggies give you freedom of movement, protect you from branches and in a wipeout, and act as a friction-reducing "slip" layer when worn over conventional (chamois butt-padded) riding shorts. 
• Riding shoes. Mountain biking shoes come in two main flavors: flat, grippy rubber soles to be used with flat pedals, and treaded soles with cleats for clip-in pedals. Both versions incorporate fairly rigid sole plates which improves pedal efficiency and control while reducing fatigue. For this reason alone, riding shoes are highly recommended. Whether you choose cleated or uncleated pedals is personal choice. If you're not sure, I recommend starting with uncleated shoes and flat pedals, as it makes it easy to start and stop, and it forces you to develop good balance and technique from the outset. Cleated pedals that force you to clip in allow you to deliver more power to the wheel, but require practice to learn how to clip and unclip smoothly and quickly to avoid getting caught in your bike.
• Sunglasses. At minimum, a pair of clear lenses is essential to prevent grit and branches from getting in your eyes. Different colored lenses (e.g. yellow, pink) can improve contrast and visibility of trails in low-light conditions. 
• Hydration pack. This isn't essential, but is so handy I rarely ride without one. Use it to store snacks, water, tire repair kit, and tools. 
• Tire repair kit. The simplest tire repair kit consists of a replacement inner tube of the correct size, one or two tire levers (the Park Tools blue levers are excellent), and a set of peel-and-stick patches (Park Tools makes a nice version), and a compact, high-volume bicycle pump. Note that bicycle air valves come in Schraeder style (same as used for car tires) and the slimmer Presta style. Inexpensive/old bikes are more likely to use Schraeder. Most riders now use Presta. Be sure to check which version you have, because your pump needs to fit it. 
• Tools. Park Tools makes an inexpensive but excellent fold-out set of hex wrenches that is constantly handy to have. There are more elaborate tools out there, but in my experience, 95% of the time I can get by with only the 4, 5, and 6mm hex wrenches (and sometimes an 8mm).
• Floor pump. This is one of those items that may first seem like a luxury, but is quickly proven to be valuable when swapping tires, etc. Get one with a pressure gauge so you can see what the optimal pressure is for your weight, tires, and style of riding.
• Armour pads. There are many options for soft knee and elbow pads to take the sting out of wipeouts. Some of the soft options that use materials like D30 for impact protection are lightweight and comfortable to wear. I don't wear armour when mountain biking but lots of people do, so don't feel self-conscious.

Fat biking

Fat biking started out as a winter sport in Alaska and other northern regions. The large, low-pressure tires (typically ranging from 4-5" wide--similar to a motorcycle rear tire!--and 3-10 psi) make it possible to ride almost effortlessly on loose snow and sand with remarkable traction and control, where other bikes would simply bog down or be too hard to pedal. 

Fat bikes are inherently simple machines: most have no suspension whatsoever and rely solely on the cushy tires to absorb the bumps. Fat bikes with suspension forks remain a minority, and full suspension bikes are still exotic, rare, and expensive. I ride a fully rigid, full carbon fat bike that I built myself from the hubs up. I wanted a lightweight bike, and at the generally lower speeds I attain in the snow, sacrificing some additional control (and undesired complexity) of a suspension fork was a reasonable tradeoff. 

Fat biking has gained popularity in the summer as well. Personally, I'd rather ride my 29er in the summer because it's lighter and much (3-4x) faster. But if I could have only one bike, I'd consider a hard-tail fat bike because it can be ridden year-round. If you haven't tried fat biking, I highly recommend it, as it's a whole new sport and an absolute blast. Check if your local bike shop rents fat bikes so you can give it a try. 

Tradeoffs in selecting a bike

Time for a rant: Bike prices have become astronomical in the past few years. I have a real problem with this, because with few exceptions, there has been very little fundamental innovation in the industry to justify the price increases. Most of the innovations have been essentially cosmetic, e.g. changing the size of components or their geometry for marketing reasons, but not changing the underlying science or technology in any profound way. Wheels still use wire spokes, hubs are still aluminum, chains are still made the same way, tires are still rubber, bearings are bearings. The trend towards carbon fibre is welcome because of the substantial performance improvements, but the technology (the resins and carbon, mould-making, etc.) is largely lifted from other industries (like aerospace and automotive) and has become commoditized. All modern design shops use the same computer aided design tools for structural and aerodynamic analysis, and manufacturing is largely done by the same massive factories in Taiwan and China where economies of scale are unbeatable. 

Nevertheless, the cost of a top-tier bike today hovers around the $10-12k mark, whereas even 6 years ago it would've been around $6-7k. The top bike of today isn't twice the top bike of six years ago; it may ride a bit better, but the inherent costs are essentially the same. I feel like I'm getting ripped off for all that extra money. So the question is, how do you get most of the performance without spending most of the money?

• Choose an entry-level bike. Today's entry level bike from a major brand is still an excellent bike, because components, standards and quality have generally trickled down from higher price points, albeit with some delay. $1000-1500 gets a pretty decent starter bike that should last a few years before you outgrow it. From there, a mid-tier bike ($1500-3500) will offer significant performance improvement (generally, better suspension and components) and lighter weight. From this point up, you're essentially paying to get more suspension (more adjustment, more travel), and lighter weight (better components). But unless you're fit and skilled, you are unlikely to benefit from the weight-savings that a more costly bike offers. 
• Tires and wheels. These two factors account for a large part of how a bike feels and performs, yet it's often an area where manufacturers cut costs when putting a bike on the showroom floor.  First, the hubs may have poor designs for the bearings and free hub, resulting in premature wear (especially in wet conditions), poor serviceability, and poor adjustability. Second, the rims are likely to be excessively heavy. Strong, light rims are more expensive to make, but they are important because they reduce weight in a key area: a large, spinning part. Upgrading wheels--particularly to a version that allows for tubeless tires--can profoundly enhance your riding experience. 
• Bearings. Hidden away in your headset, crank, hubs, and suspension pivot points are ball bearings that should allow for smooth, play-free movement. Small/inexpensive bearing tend to wear out quickly or cannot be adjusted well, resulting in a bike that just doesn't roll smoothly or turn precisely where you aim it. If you're looking at a used bike, have someone inspect the bearings, as they can require some effort (and cost) to service properly.
• Suspension. Whether the front fork or rear shock, each component is designed to operate within a specific range of loaded weight (bike plus rider) and trail conditions (size, frequency of bumps). Designing and manufacturing suspension components that can adapt to a wide range of variables is more costly, so cheaper bikes tend to use parts that lack some adjustability. If you're unusually heavy, or riding particularly rough terrain, you will benefit from better-quality suspension components that can handle the higher demands. Tuning suspension to your set of requirements is a specialty science in itself, and best done with the input of someone who is experienced with it.
• Seat. Bike seats are designed to fit different types of bums. If you're a woman or a larger guy, you may want a wider design to better support your pelvic bones. Try different saddles to see what works best for you. Being comfortable (or at least, not in pain) on a bike is key to enjoying the sport. Yes, it's entirely possible, but it will required some patience and experimentation even once you get past the initial discomfort of getting used to being on a bike.
• Handle bars and grips. Cheaper bikes come with aluminum handle bars. A decent carbon fibre bars isn't expensive and can dramatically improve the handle and comfort of your ride. Same with bar grips. There's a wide variety of grip materials, shapes, and sizes to fit your mitts. 

Go riding!

Find a local riding group to ride with and learn the basics. Usually these groups are subdivided by level of experience and speed, allowing you to find a pace and challenge appropriate to your ability. Sometimes people swap bikes with each other, so you can try different gear for a few minutes. Don't be afraid to push yourself a little past your comfort zone. This is how you learn, and you may discover you're capable of much more than you thought after only a short time.   

Mountain biking access on the Carp Ridge

Just west of Ottawa lies the Carp Ridge formation, a strip of rugged Canadian Shield that protrudes up out of the surrounding limestone plains. Consisting largely of exposed granite worn smooth by glaciers, covered in mixed hardwood and pine forests (including some old-growth groves), and punctuated by beaver ponds and streams, it's a stunning natural area within a short drive of the Ottawa urban area.

I began exploring the ridge back in the late 80's when I visited my parents who had just moved to the village of Carp, located right on the edge of the ridge. At that time, Carp was a sleepy farming community, known chiefly as the location of the "Diefenbunker"(Canada's Cold War-era shelter for government leaders in the event of a nuclear attack) and the annual Carp Fair (one of Canada's longest-running agricultural fairs). Both are highly-recommended tourist destinations. Behind my parent's home lay many kilometers of unofficial trails into the largely undeveloped and uninhabited lands of the Carp Ridge. A large swath was owned by the City of Ottawa, who at the time seemed to have no real vision for this land except to sell it off to developers.

As the sport of mountain biking grew, so too did local demand for places to ride. The Ottawa area is, in theory, ideal for mountain biking: to the north lies the Eardley Escarpment and Gatineau Park, with hundreds of kilometers of hiking and skiing trails; on the other side of the Ottawa River lies the Carp Ridge with similar terrain in miniature, but with none of the barriers to mountain biking that the National Capital Commission (NCC) had originally imposed on Gatineau Park at the time. So, in the 1990s, unofficial trail development on the Carp Ridge began in earnest, mainly around its southern limits in an area known then as "Kanata Lakes" and now as South March Highlands (SMH).

Soon a local riding community developed around the SMH trail vision. A dedicated team of volunteers formed and systematically built a network of sustainable single track, following the IMBA model which has since been adopted by Parks Canada (among other organizations) as a gold standard for sustainable trails. The nascent Ottawa Mountain Bike Association (OMBA) took unofficial responsibility for maintaining the network, and after much negotiation with the City of Ottawa, was eventually given formal responsibility to develop and manage the SMH network, as well as some new projects. This partnership between mountain bikers and the City of Ottawa--now extended to the NCC through the development of official single track in Gatineau Park--has benefited the Ottawa area in many ways, not least by providing high quality, year-round recreational singletrack trails in beautiful nature.

As more people discover the beauty and enjoyment of the natural areas that these trails enable, demand increases for more trails. That leads us to the development of a new trail area further north on the Carp Ridge, at Thomas Dolan Parkway. Here, the land is open with swaths of exposed smooth rock; it's a much different character versus the dark, rocky forests of SMH further south. The granite resembles the slickrock of Moab, Utah--one of the world's greatest mountain biking destinations.

Thanks to the initiative and volunteer effort of mainly one person, there is now a spectacular figure-8 trail loop at Thomas Dolan. It mostly follows exposed rock outcroppings, and thanks to some clever dry-stone work, achieves a wonderful riding flow over discontinuities that is always challenging but completely doable if you commit and push your limits. It is also a perfectly enjoyable hike, and one of my favourite destinations for hiking or riding.

But now it's all at risk of being taken away. Although the Thomas Dolan trail is on city lands, a dispute between various user groups is arising about who can use the trail. The city has now officially opened a review, and there's a risk that some or all access may be lost. As an avid hiker, biker, trail builder, amateur naturalist, and--gasp!--off-road motorcycle rider myself, I'm familiar with the many sides of these land-use debates and can empathize with the views of different user groups. But, I have to say, we all need to work harder to get along. There's a lot of misinformation, misunderstanding, and blinkered self-interest going on.

One thing I would like to point out is that if not for the extensive volunteer efforts of the snowmobile clubs, ATV clubs, and mountain biking clubs, there would be very few publicly accessible recreational trails in Eastern Ontario for the community at large to enjoy. Trail-building in the challenging conditions of our region takes a huge amount of work: I know, because I lead a small group of dedicated volunteers to build and maintain a 15km public trail network for biking and hiking, as part of OMBA. An unmaintained trail can become impassible in as soon as a few weeks because of overgrowth and blow-down from storms.

While hikers represent a large portion of trail users in our region, they seem to be under-represented when it comes to helping with land access issues and developing sustainable shared-use trails. Yet, I can't help but observe that hikers are over-represented as leavers of dog poop bags and other garbage (coffee cups, beer cans, etc.) on the trails I manage. Nevertheless, whether we are bikers, hikers, snowmobilers, or ATVers, we all have much more in common with each other than initial impressions may suggest. Sure, there are a few bad representatives in every group. But if we work together more, and look harder for common ground and shared interests, we can build much-wanted trails that allow everyone to enjoy our lands together, in sustainable and low-impact ways.

Regardless of your preferred outdoor activity, if you want to continue to enjoy access to your local trails, please support one of the local clubs that build and manage these trails. Even if you can't volunteer your time, your membership fee will help to pay for the equipment and insurance needed to keep the trails open.

When thoughts turn to spring...

Trails are finally starting to thaw and dry out here in the frozen north, and some green shoots are even poking out of the ground in a few places. Soon it will be that magical two weeks between mud and bugs, when summer riding season starts again. 

Carbon wheels on the 29er

With temps still hovering around the -2C mark, a fat bike with a crapped-out rear hub that can't be fixed (requiring a frame replacement; long story), and a refreshed motorcycle chomping at the bit for warmer days, I've almost run out of things to putter on in the shop. After my last trail ride in the fall, my 29er just sat as it came off the bike rack--much to the surprise of a riding buddy who dropped by. He knows me as someone who meticulously maintains my gear, and here was my sweet ride, all covered in filth.

Time for a rebuild. After a complete strip to bare frame, which I cleaned and waxed, each part was cleaned, inspected, and serviced; suspension disassembled and oil changed; and wheels taken apart with all the old tire sealant cleaned out. The XM401's I built a couple seasons ago have held up perfectly, but I also built a second set of carbon wheels with my own Rugged Wheels premium asymmetric rims last winter, on a set of 28-hole DT Swiss 240 hubs with straight-pull DT Comp spokes. Swapping to these carbon wheels shaved a pound off the ride and they feel amazing! Total bike is now 26 lbs for a large frame. Not bad for a 5 year old bike.

I have a few more carbon wheel sets for road bikes in stock, selling at a ridiculously low price to clear them out. Wheels and tires are really one of the best upgrades you can make on two wheels, and the performance enhancement is immediately noticeable.

Now to wait for the trails to dry out!

Finding adventure: Why I ride

The hardest part of undertaking an adventure is deciding to go. Uncertainty about the unknown, concern about risk, and anxiety about whether it’ll be the “right” use of precious time and resources—all can defeat taking action. When “analysis paralysis” and agonizing over all the “what-ifs” take over, they often shut doors to enriching new experiences and insights.

Even for seasoned adventurers, making the decision to go may paradoxically become both harder and easier with age. This is certainly the case for me now as I ponder my 50^th year and plan a new trip.

On the one hand, I’ve had the good fortune to be able to live in or extensively visit some 35 countries since an early age. Growing up as an only child to young parents who were also students, we lived in nomadic poverty. Leaving Canada for Sweden, we wound our way through Eastern Europe to Greece and then Italy, and on to South Africa, LeSotho and Swaziland before emigrating to a small backwater town in Queensland, Australia.

Soon after, a family break-up led to the next chapter of my life and the addition of two new people who would eventually become my wonderful step-parents. It was also the start of my dual life, splitting my time between my father’s adventurous  lifestyle around the world and my more mundane routine in Canada. These adventures included sailing around the south Pacific, hitchhiking through Europe, and spending time in Switzerland and southern France with a remarkable collection of musicians, artists, and business people in my father’s (and stepmother’s) circle of family and friends. It was all bare-bones budget, often risky by the standards of the day, and certainly not what was then seen as an appropriate way to raise a teenager. It was fantastic.

This upbringing naturally drove me towards being independent and self-reliant. In that respect, a major epiphany for me was learning to ride my second-hand bicycle on our dirt road in Australia. This, and some old books on bicycle repair, kindled a life-long passion for independent, two-wheeled travel. At 16 I completed my first bike tour, a solo four-day tour through a corner of France and Switzerland. I could hardly wait until the end of high school, when a friend and I spent three months cycling across Europe and I worked as a bicycle tour guide in France.

In university I started to race bicycles, and took up running--against the advice of a doctor who was horrified by my gait. Despite being relatively late to the sport, soon I was competing internationally in duathlons and was fortunate to represent Canada at two world championships. Racing led to rock-climbing and mountaineering, and many trips to stunning locations to enjoy new challenging experiences and guide others.

Twenty years ago today, in 1998, my wife and I took our biggest risk together (besides getting married—that’s a whole other story!). We scrounged every penny, left our careers, and took half a year to travel as locals would through West Africa and the Middle East. In retrospect, it was an unusually perfect time for such a trip. The regions we visited were mostly stable and conflict free at the time, yet tourism was rare. We met many wonderful people in Gambia, Morocco, Mali, Ghana, Syria, and other places where it would be difficult at best, or outright suicidal today. We took chances and had an adventure of a lifetime.

Now—and with the accumulated responsibilities of teenagers of my own, extended family, entrenched careers, and the usual burdens of simply getting older—finding adventure becomes more challenging. It must emerge in more compact, refined forms to remain feasible. In that respect, the addition of a motorcycle license a decade ago enables adventures further afield while retaining many of the characteristics of bicycle travel. 

All this wealth of experience, while contributing to useful know-how in finding and having great adventures, also gives rise to the paradox I mentioned at the start: it stimulates the “what-ifs”. If unchecked, these what-ifs can defeat the goal of finding or enjoying new adventures. I think the key is to find an appropriate balance between experience (often gained through failure) and openness to risk (optimism that you can find a way to succeed) that is right for you. This is tricky. First you need to be aware of the issues, then you need to identify the right balance, then you need to act on it. Many people never figure it out. 

  

For myself, I think I’ve found a reasonable balance. My fears are tempered by having been in some situations that could have easily and irrevocably led to a spectacular death or at least injury. We all gotta go, someday. I just don’t think my time’s up yet. And when it is, I hope it’s while going full-throttle doing something I love.

Nevertheless, and speaking as a motorcyclist, for the benefit of my family I try to be a conservative rider who assiduously avoids traffic, main roads, and populations in general. Those are risks I can control somewhat by simply minimizing my exposure to them. The tradeoff is allowing myself the luxury of enjoying perhaps a little more risk riding on the path that’s less-traveled and definitely more rutted, rocky and remote: Pick your battles.

Probably like most of you reading this site, I ride because the combination of acceleration, fresh air, and physical exertion is intoxicating and exhilarating. Whether it’s on a bicycle or motorcycle, those two wheels become extensions of my body, allowing me to go places and find adventures that most people can’t or won’t try. The journey—not the destination—is the basis of adventure. Every ride can become an adventure if you approach it the right way. The amazing thing is, once you make that decision to go, the rest just falls into place.

Rugged Wheels on Facebook

Just launching a Facebook page for my custom wheel building business, Rugged Wheels. Been busy with customer orders and testing new products over the last few months. I'm selling sample wheel sets at a considerable discount. These reflect combos I built up as part of setting up my ordering system, tooling, etc. All are ready to ride and in new condition, although some may have very minor cosmetic flaws that won't affect performance/durability. Will also be listing some slightly-used odds and ends that I tested along the way. Gotta clear out the shop for more stuff!

Dualsport Diary will continue to be where I post articles and reviews.

Rugged Wheels: Carbon fat bike wheels

Pretty excited by these wheels I just built on the weekend: my custom carbon 80mm rims on DT Swiss Big Ride hubs with DT Competition spokes. Tubeless setup; rear hub converts to 190/197mm with simple swap of end-caps.


Will be offering this build as part of my regular wheel set packages. Pricing to come!

29+ wheels for your fat bike

Bike shops I've spoken with report that if someone's planning on having just one mountain bike, increasingly it's a fat bike. In Eastern Ontario where I live, this is definitely a trend because it lets you squeeze more fun out of winters that are becoming more unpredictable for freeze/thaw and snow.

Fat tires are great in snow and other soft conditions, but are overkill for summer riding. One solution is to get a second set of wheels with a narrow rim that let you run 3" tires. This combo can shave a few pounds off your wheels compared to a standard fat setup. More importantly, reducing the rotating weight improves handling and acceleration, making a ponderous fat bike feel almost sprightly on summer trails.

This is a wheel set I'm offering as a solution. Hubs are the excellent DT Swiss Big Ride, running 150mm x 15mm thru-axle in front and 190mm x 12mm thru-axle in the rear. The rear hub is easily converted to 197 mm wide by swapping optional end caps, and both Shimano and SRAM XD freehubs are available. Note that in the picture the front wheel shows a centre-lock disc brake mount and the rear an ISIS (6-bolt) mount. ISIS mount will be standard on both.

Rims are DT Swiss XM481, which is a robust yet lightweight option for all-mountain use. Spokes are DT Competition butted with ProLock aluminum nipples. Wheels are tubeless-ready.

For more information and pricing, contact your local bike shop, e.g. Rebec & Kroes or Almonte Bicycle Works.

Rugged Wheels update and preview

Rugged Wheels is my new business venture born in the woods of Eastern Ontario, a destination with thousands of square kilometers of gorgeous wilderness for epic rides on and off road.

Why Rugged? Because out here, buff trails are the stuff of fantasy. Here we contend with Canadian Shield, limestone flats, dismal swamps, rooty cedar and pine forests, sticky clay, water crossings, and pointy rocks everywhere.

The lightest gear is no use if it breaks. Even on a road ride here it can be a long hike back to civilization and you can't count on others along the way. So our wheel vision emphasizes quality and durability: built to service, built to last. Rugged Wheels for rugged rides.  

For the last couple of months I've been spec'ing wheelsets, ordering parts, and building wheels in preparation to launching my web site. Here's a preview of some of the goodies.

The following are custom carbon rims, all for tubeless mounting and built on DT Swiss 350-series hubs. There's an 80mm-wide fatbike rim, a 38mm deep road rim, and a 60mm deep road rim. The road rims are 25mm wide to allow for wider (e.g. gravel) tires and include a rim braking surface, although I'll be building these up for disc brakes. I'm also looking into an option for a more discreet rim graphic, but hey--these are meant to show off the brand!

Here's the 3 Amigos together for comparison:

Light dual-sport motorcycles like the WR250R, CRF250, and more are rightly gaining popularity. Upgrading the wheels or having a second set with different tires improves the ride experience. Here's the set of SMPro wheels I built for my WR250R, mounted with an MT-21 in front and D606 in back. Hubs and rims are SMPro with Bulldog stainless spokes and aluminum nipples. Everything is made by the same company in the UK--they supply wheels to many well-known factory brands in Europe. 

Ignore the ghetto balancing weights. The nice ones I had in stock didn't fit the slightly larger Bulldog spokes, so I need to order new weights. 

Note these wheels look a little grungy because they have 500km of trail riding on them, and the tires have about 2000km.  

The hubs have a nice, clean design, include spacers and bearings, and build up well.

Here's a close-up of the Dirt Tricks sprocket I've run for 13,000 km of filthy trail riding. 

It shows no functional wear compared to a brand new sprocket on the right. Amazing. 

Like DT Swiss on the bicycle side and SMPro on the moto side, Dirt Tricks is a brand I've chosen to import because it's such good stuff.

I also rebuilt my stock WR250R hubs with new SMPro rims and Bulldog spokes to be able to run a more street-oriented tire. 

The real show here is that zirconium PVD-coated sprocket from Dirt Tricks. This coating is expected to be more durable than the chromium plating on the regular sprockets. Colours look amazing when you change the lighting angle. 

Rugged Wheels will offer these products and more in 2017:

• Wheelsets for bicycles and motorbikes. These are sold as predefined upgrade packages based on carefully selected components and sizes that are most popular and optimize performance, durability, and cost. Lightest and cheapest is available elsewhere; that's not our market. Retail sales are through bike shops only. You can order bicycle options from Imad or Brian at Rebec & Kroes in Ottawa. We're interested in hearing from motorcycle shops that want to offer wheels and parts for dual-sport and off-road applications.
• Small parts for wheels. Whether you need hubs, rims, spokes, or other related parts, our plan is to provide sales and technical support. If you've ever tried to spec a wheel, you know there's a lot to figure out. One supplier has over 60,000 SKUs just for wheels...
• Custom-cut spokes for bicycles. Our Morizumi spoke machine enables us to offer precision-threaded spokes as cost-effective options (order 1 or 500!) for servicing your own wheels.

Mountain bike wheel upgrade: DT Swiss XM401 rims

Every five years or so there seems to be enough cumulative small improvements to bicycle technology that riding the newest bike models can feel like a whole new exciting sport. Short of replacing your entire bike though, there are some strategic and affordable upgrades you can make to reinvigorate your riding and extend the life of your bike.

On mountain bikes in particular, you’re probably already familiar with the wide range of handling and control improvements achieved by simply changing tires to better match terrain and riding style. Less familiar to many riders though is how profound a difference upgrading your wheels—or at least your rims—can make in how your bike feels and performs. There are some solid technical reasons why wheels make a sensible upgrade.

Let’s use my bike, a 2014 Santa Cruz Tallboy 2 Carbon, as an example. This 29er is at the XC end of the spectrum but is built much more durably than a fragile race machine. The wheels are WTB i9 Frequency rims at 19mm wide, laced with DT Competition butted spokes to DT Swiss 350 Classic hubs. Pretty decent spec that’s representative of many mid-level XC bikes.

The problem with 19mm wide rims is that their narrow platform offers little stability for mountain bike tires. You can see this by grabbing the hub of your wheel and pushing it from side-to-side to flex the tire against the ground. That sideways movement is amplified by your body weight when riding, causing a squirmy feeling in the wheels. Large knobs increase the squirmy feeling because they enable more flex to occur between the rim and the terrain.

Mounting the same knobby tire on a wider rim increases the tire’s lateral stability and reduces the squirmy feeling. It’s the same principle as why standing with your legs wide apart can brace you against a sideways push. But there’s another source of lateral movement that’s less obvious: rim flex that occurs as the rim itself tries to resists forces from pedaling and trail bumps.

In cross-section, a typical bicycle rim is essentially a “D”-shaped tube. Since the spokes are all attached to the rim in one line (unlike on some fatbikes and adventure motorbikes like BMWs, where spokes are laced tothe outside edges of the rim), there is no lateral bracing to help the rim resist twisting forces that can arise, especially when hitting bumps. Torsional/bending strength therefore relies mainly on the rim design itself. Large diameter wheels (29ers) are more susceptible to these forces for a given rim width than 27.5” or 26” wheels. However, increasing the cross-sectional area of the rim—making it a larger “D”—greatly increases the rim’s ability to resist twisting. As a result, upgrading to a wider rim not only improves tire bracing, it provides a more rigid platform for the tire to push against as it engages with the terrain, reducing overall lateral flex in the system.

Sure, interesting theory--but how does it actually feel in seat-of-the-pants riding? Is there enough benefit to justify changing your rims?

To test this, I rebuilt my back wheel using the same hub and spokes, but swapping the WTB 19mm rim for a gorgeous new DT Swiss XM401 23mm wide rim. (As a DT Swiss dealer, I ordered a bunch of these—let me know if you want some.) The XM series is aimed at the more aggressive end of the XC spectrum ("All Mountain" on the DT Swiss scale) and is meant to offer strength and durability over pure light weight, but it isn't as heavy as their Enduro or DH rims.

Here's the new rim, still in its plastic, resting on the wheel. 

As you can see, edge-on the original rim had taken some damage beyond what truing could fully overcome without creating a weak and unreliable wheel.  

Rebuilding was straightforward: I taped the new rim to the wheel and simply transferred each spoke one at a time to the new rim, using the included Squorx aluminum nipples and washers instead of the original brass nipples. 

Almost done!

Careful truing and tensioning to the DT Swiss spec resulted in a beautiful, strong wheel.

Some DT Swiss rim tape and a lighter valve stem completed my tubeless build.

A dose of Stan’s and a good shake resulted in a perfect seal the first time. No air lost overnight.

Even though it’s a wider rim, the XM401 it’s still remarkably lightweight: the complete rear wheel weighs only about 40g more than the original build with the 19mm WTB rim! You may balk at replacing anything on your bike with something even slightly heavier, but consider what you gain: the increased tire bracing, torsional strength, and air volume together achieve a remarkable performance upgrade.

Indeed, a two hour test ride on fast, flowy trails with rock gardens and roots showed a profound improvement in the feel and handling of the bike. The rear wheel simply felt more planted in response to bumps, and more precise in its control. There was none of the squirmy or vague feeling I had previously felt on off-camber corners or in rock gardens, and cornering traction improved as a result. It also felt like the suspension was more in control, not like there were two separate systems of wheel flex and shock conflicting with each other in reaction to rider and trail input. While I can’t quantify these effects, qualitatively it almost felt like I was riding a new bike. All this from just changing a rear rim! 40g is peanuts to trade for this massive improvement.

Update: I've also swapped out my front rim but haven't had a chance to try it other than a few laps around the driveway. Front end feels noticeably more solid, although a more rigorous test is needed to assess how it affects steering and suspension feel.