For those of us that regularly pedal for transportation, there’s nothing worse than being trapped someplace without a bike. Traditionally, the worst part of going to Interbike is being stuck at a bike show without a bike. Fortunately, some kind individuals from an assortment of companies allowed us to borrow their Dirt Demo bikes for a few days. All of the bikes we rode were quite interesting, and deserve some face time, so we’ll each be writing a bit about the bikes we rode over the next couple of weeks.  Check out Shannon’s impressions of Pashley’s Roadster Classic and Evan’s thoughts on Raleigh’s Clubman.

I was fortunate enough to draw straws for Masi’s new-for-2009 Soulville 10. Masi first introduced the Soulville, with an 8-speed Nexus Shimano rear hub, at Interbike 2007 as a 2008 model. For 2009, Masi is stepping up the game with a few more versions of this classy commuter including a women’s step through frame, called the Mixte, which is available with a 3-speed or 7-speed internal hub, as well as men’s versions in singlespeed, 3-speed, 7-speed, and 10-speed configurations. Obviously the 2008 Soulville sold well enough to justify these other options.

The Soulville 10 has a pleasing retro look and feel while also maintaining the functionality of fenders, gears, and a comfortable and efficient riding position. My 20” loner steed, which is the largest frame Masi makes, was absolutely perfect for me as a cruising city bike which is perhaps a bit unsettling in that I’m a mere 5’ 7” knuckle-dragger. A 565mm effective top tube on the big bike doesn’t leave many options for the tall folks out there, particularly when paired with a nice swept-back handlebar–with cork grips, no less. Don’t get me wrong, this bike is designed to have a nice upright seating position but if you’re taller than 5’10” make sure you’re not going to be cramped by the bars being low and in your lap.

By now, I’m sure you’re wondering how this hip machine rides. Stable is one of the first words that come to mind.  Even with and inordinately heavy backpack full of camera equipment the Soulville felt very composed. This impression was corroborated by the bike’s geometry; long wheelbase (1088mm), slack head tube angle (70º), average fork offset (45mm). These number come together to create a bike that is stable and predictable while comfortably carving corners in a composed, controlled fashion, all of which are admirable handling traits in a transportation machine. Personally, I like a nice stable, relaxed ride home from a long day at the office.

The Soulville 10 uses SRAM’s 10-speed Doulble Tap Flat Bar shifters to shift through a compact double road crankset and close-ratio road cassette.  It took a few mis-shifts to get the Double Tap groove hammered into my mountain-bike-trigger-shifter oriented brain, but sooner or later things sunk in. Shift action was very crisp and precise, which is to be expected from the SRAM Rival front and rear derailleurs.

I certainly enjoyed my time aboard the Soulville, scooting around and through the hustle and bustle of Vegas. If I was in the market for a classy, mid-level commuter bike, this bike would likely be on my short list. It’s not the cheapest commuter, nor does it deliver the most high-tech performance for its $1,100 retail price, but this bike certainly delivers steely class, comfort, and competence.

For the sake of time, I am posting this entry for long time Dirt Rag friend Evan Perrone. Evan accompanied Dirt Rag to Las Vegas for Interbike to help out at the booth, provide comic relief, and to try to get us arrested. In exchange we fed him peanuts, found him a commuter bike, and let him sleep on the diving board at the DR compound. Here’s what Evan had to say about his Raleigh Clubman. –Shannon.

Raleigh Clubman

I am sure that many people would have let out a sigh of disappointment when they learned that they would be given anything short of a candy-apple red “shark” convertible to cruise the Vegas Strip in. However, I drew a breath of excitement when Brian, at the Raleigh booth, handed me a 2009 Raleigh Clubman on the last day of dirt demo to use as a commuter while in Vegas.

The Clubman is a Reynolds 520 Double Butted chromoly road bike teeming with charm and warmth of the traditional British craftsmanship. It’s a very versatile machine forgoing standard vertical dropouts in favor of semi-horizontal, forward facing dropouts, allowing for a single-speed conversion should the desire arise. The Raleigh continues with traditional accoutrements such as a pump peg, two water bottle mounts, and a steel fork with an investment cast crown and dropouts. The paintjob is a very simple, but appealing graphite with blue undertones and subtle decals. The fabled Raleigh Phoenix badge still adorns the headtube, although the pop-riveted metal one is now a simple sticker.

The frame geometry airs on the side of traditional road, as my 57cm frame had a 57cm sloping toptube. Versatility is assured with manipulated seat and chainstays, fork crown, and long-reach brakes. This bicycle has room for a wider tire, dare I say perhaps a 32mm or even a 35mm. The Clubman comes equipped with a Shimano Tiagra nine speed drivetrain, including shifters, derailleurs, and a compact external bearing crankset. An Avenir wing handlebar offered a comfortable spin on a traditional drop bar. The Vittoria tires and the Freedom rims were a nice touch as well. Perhaps the icing on the cake would be the factory equipped Brooks Swift Saddle, replete with hand hammered copper rivets with chamfered edges. I hope most owners of the Clubman will give the Brooks its needed break-in time, as the saddle is very firm at first, but a thorough break-in will pay off with a very comfortable saddle. As a longtime Brooks user, I assure the aforementioned to you.

Upon proper set up, I took the English Gentleman for a spin. The commute from the Dirt Rag compound to the Sands Convention Center is roughly a 3-mile grid of hot, black, tarmac, which, at times is not entirely smooth. The Raleigh was a joy; fast, supple, and surprisingly stiff in the bottom bracket with all the compliance expected in a steel frame. Smooth acceleration and satisfactory breaking could be expected from the Raleigh at every request. The taller headtube gave the Raleigh a slower handling feel then many road bikes I have sampled, although given the expected usage and the ability to change the bicycle’s platform, I felt this to be a smart choice. The Raleigh’s compact gearing was an excellent decision, allowing enough go-power to hang with your roadie friends and enough low end to climb everything.  A little light duty touring would be welcomed by this platform, although true touring riders should seek out the more appropriate Sojourn model.

Looking back at this week filled with bright lights, bicycles, slot machines, and yellow shooting glasses, I am very happy to have been able to employ the use of the Clubman on the Vegas strip. It got me everywhere I needed to go  and places I wanted to go, with speed, efficiency, and comfort. Do I have any complaints about the bicycle? Perhaps only one, and it pertains to any bike I have ridden that employees the use of a quick release lever on anything but a vertical dropout. A large bump can cause the wheel to misalign itself, which happened a few times. That being said, The Raleigh Clubman is an excellent bicycle for anyone looking for a classic and classy ride for the asphalt, rail-trail, or anything in-between.  —Evan Perrone.

After spending most of a week bike and kayak packing around the Adirondack’s it was time for some more serious riding (Part 6). Starting from Middle Lake Saranac, it was a beautiful drive across Route 9W through the High Peaks area and over to Essex, where I picked up the ferry across Lake Champlain.  Crossing into Vermont was like flying from Philly to Portland, from gritty and worn down, to something so polished that it almost didn’t seem real. Suddenly there were organic farms, private academies and chain restaurants, rather than the Adirondack tourist businesses that had been declining for at least 20 years. I thought about driving through Winooski, where my father served in a VA Hospital as a conscientious objector during Vietnam, but the sudden exposure to 21^st century America was a little much, so I pushed on into the Northern Kingdom. Just about 30 miles south of the Canadian border lies the small town of East Burke, VT., home of Burke Mt. Ski Area. Back in the early 90’s the owner of the ski area starting working with local landowners to provide access for mountain bike and cross country ski trails. That effort has blossomed into the Kingdom Trails Association, now run by Tim Tierney (a possible relative of Maurice?). Currently mountain bike specific trails, no horses or motorized vehicles, extend over three local areas, and require a paid permit to use.

The permit fees cover the trail center’s staff, trail building and maintenance, and compensation to the 40+ private landowners. I arrived in town after 5:00 p.m. on Thursday evening and the trail center was closed, so I headed across the street to East Burke Sports. There I was able to pick up a trail pass, a 29’er tube and some great local knowledge. I asked local wrench Adam about any good backcountry camping spots, and he pointed out three lean-to’s in the Darling State Forest, adjacent to the ski area, that are open to camping. After enjoying the CCC/WPA lean-to’s in the Adirondacks, I seized the opportunity. He showed me how I could ride from the lodge up to the CCC Road and across the slope to the lower lean-to, and then ride down the “J-Bar” trail in the morning. I immediately drove to the lodge and threw together my BikePacking gear and ground my way up the Toll Road, I had to walk a bit on the singlespeed, 18% grade, while Adam a his friends passed me on an end of day DH shuttle run.

The lean-to was great, and I awoke to another day of perfect weather. After breakfast and coffee I bombed down the “J-Bar” trail which was a little rough at the top on with the hardtail loaded down, but I got into a nice rhythm by the bottom. If the coffee didn’t wake me up this trail certainly did. The trails around the ski area are a mix of DH, Freeride, and technical XC. Of course all involve a climb or shuttle to start. I figured I would stick to this area for the day and started with a climb up “Camptown” trail and over to “Dead Moose Alley”, I got to the trail head and was disappointed to see a “closed” sign. This part of Vermont has had a really wet summer so I figured some trails must still be closed. I headed back down “Camptown”, which was reasonable consolation. Back at the car I used the excellent trail map to plan out a longer ride, looping out from the mountain and over to town and back. I started with a nice warmup on “Trillium” and “Magill Fields” then dropped into “Moose Alley” which has to be one of the best trails on the East Coast. A very fun mix of short downhills, tight corners, roots, and even a few rocks. From there I hopped on “White School” and made my way around the ponds and along the Passumpsic River’s East Branch and ended in town. All kitted up and dirty, I stopped in the River Garden Café and the wait staff didn’t even seem to notice. After a very good salmon sandwich and local brew, I headed over to the trail center and had a nice chat with Tim, who let me know the “closed” sign on “Dead Moose Alley” was still up by mistake. Not wanting to miss one of the most technical trails in the area, I offered to ride up and move the sign. I cruised up the road to the lodge, then up “Camptown” again and moved the “closed” sign. “DMA” was worth the effort, similar to “Moose Alley”, but with more rocks and a little less flow. I finished up the day’s riding by cutting over to “Enchanted Forest”, a really fun descent with pump track like sections and goofy plywood cutouts of animals. I can’t imagine riding this trail without a silly smile on your face. Friday night put me into a different, but equally nice, lean-to after a slightly shorter climb from Kirby Road. For my second day of riding I hit the trails closest to town, along the East Branch. First, I stopped in the Wildflower Inn for second breakfast, and had a nice conversation with owner,  Jim O’Reilly gave me some background on the area and how the trails came to be, along with some excellent blueberry pancakes and coffee. I started my days’ ride from the rapidly filling parking lot at the trail center, there were mostly Quebec plates and French was being spoken. Over the next 4 hours I was able to string together a route that had me riding every piece of single track in this section of the trail network. The trails varied from the bermed downhill of “Kitchel”, to the very challenging “Jaw”, the switchbacks and dips of “East Branch” and the scenic beauty of “Heaven’s Bench”.

All of the trails were perfectly maintained and had great flow. I rode a few “backwards”, like going up “Widow Maker”, and found the place perfectly suited to a singlespeed. I didn’t have to walk anything, although the big switchback on “East Branch” had me grunting, and only dabbed on a couple stream crossings on “Jaw”. I stopped in Bailey’s and Burke, which has about anything you could need, and had a tasty calzone for lunch. Feeling a bit hot, I took the suggestion of another PA rider I randomly ran into earlier in the day, and headed over to Lake Willoughb, which features a “clothing optional” beach. It was a little cool for more than a quick swim, but it was still a good place to relax for the afternoon. The view of the lake from the beach looks like the Delaware Water Gap, and the lake is more than 300 feet deep.

Later in the afternoon I went back to town and decided to do an evening ride at the north end of Darling Hill. A nice loop out “Fence Line” put me on “Pastore Point” for some picturesque sundown views of the river.

Then up “Coronary Bypass” and over to “Harp” which took me back to The Inn at Mountain View Farm. I shared a couple beers with a fellow rider in the parking lot, headed up to the ski lodge and made my way back to the first nights lean-to. After a peaceful, but cool night, I was hanging out making coffee, when I heard some noise in the bushes. The whole trip I had been a bit paranoid about black bears, which I couldn’t seem to shake, even though I had hiked solo in Montana, which is Grizzly country. I called out to warn him off, only to be greeted by an early morning endurance running scrabbling his way to the summit. A little sheepishly, I finished my breakfast and headed down “J-Bar” again. The past couple days I’d rarely seen another rider on the trail, but the full parking lot today suggested today might be more social. After a wet summer, the Kingdom was getting a record number of riders, more than 300 day passes were sold on Saturday. If I could put a good route together in the Drling Hill Section, I figured that I could ride all of the remaining singletrack trails in one long ride. I used “Herb’s” to climb up the hill and then used “River Run” to connect up to trails like “Tap and Die” “Tody’s Tour” “West Branch” and “Sidewinder”. This section certainly had more riders around and there was a clearing up by “Old Webs” that filled up around lunch time. The day’s highlights were “Tody’s Tour” and “Sidewinder”. “Tody’s” was similar to “Moose Alley”, a nice twisty downhill. “Sidewinder” starts a bit like “Tody’s” but then you start dropping into these huge bermed turns that crisscross a ravine.

It’s like a big dirt snowboard halfpipe, the G-forces actually compress you at the bottoms. An absolute blast. After my second time down, I stopped at the bottom to shoot some pictures, and you could hear the hoots of the riders coming down. Everyone rolled out the bottom with a huge grin. This was the perfect way to end an amazing trip. Kingdom Trails represents just how first class trails can be built in a relatively small area by utilizing private land. The town, and surrounding businesses, seems to be booming and no one objects to the very reasonable use fees. In many areas Kingdom Trails can serve as an example of how to create a vibrante future for mountain biking, and rural communities. Thanks to everyone that makes it possible, I’ll definitely be back.

All Hail the King!

Bright lights, thousands of people, fake conditioned air and flashy paint. The week long show of Interbike is enough to drive any sane man crazy and I’ve been walking the thin, florescent line since the plane landed on Sunday. Fortunately the Dirt Rag crew stays in a house off the strip and we begin and end every day with a ruckus filled ride full of laughter aboard our loaned commuter bicycles. I can’t express my thanks enough to the bike companies that generously provide our transportation that gives us all some needed exercise and a break. Thank You!

This year my legs have been pumping the pedals in complete British flair. Pashley Bicycles of England, primarily owner Loring Kohrt, loaned me a King among the court, or as Pashley describes it, a whale among the minnows. The Roadster Classic in Buckingham Black has more class than the bloody Queen. This beauty is an incredibly fun, handcrafted work of two-wheeled art with a riding position that screams “What’s for tea, mate?” Or at least it had me screaming in a full sprint to catch up with a truck of kind industry folks offering a can of Tecate from the passenger window.

The Roadster is a tall, slender, and solidly built machine that rolls over street irregularities and curbs while retaining the manners of a gentleman. With 28” wheels, a lugged and brazed steel frame, Brooks saddle, and Sturmey Archer brake/3-speed hub that has plenty of pedaling room for speed before it spins out. Racing down the Vegas strip and riding away from the city lights to the Vegas Cross Race was an 22-mile treat, especially on the downhill return.

A swept back, chrome plated handlebar and upright riding position offers nothing resembling aero dynamics, but style points are plentiful. Tuck down, be foolish and just enjoy the mood. Pull up to the light with music in your head and a swagger in your pedal stroke. It’s all good. Wear what you want too, because there are wrap around fenders, a full chaincase, and coatguards to keep your long coat from becoming tangled in the spokes.

The Roadster is an attention getter, not a crumpet, so enjoy it. The old school ding-dong bell is instant humor when rung while weaving through pedestrians on the strip or to give credit to the ladies out on a stroll. At Kona’s annual party the Roadster was parked poolside, kickstand-style, and a horn player in the Mariachi band took the liberty of including the bell in the band’s song. Everyone loves it and I had a great time piloting it through Las Vegas.

Pashley offers an incredible amount of stylish bikes that are also purposefully built. Handmade in England, British-attitude, and funk without the flash… It’s an awesome feeling rolling aboard the Roadster. Thanks again to Loring and the rest of the Pashley folks for the sweet loaner.

–Shannon Mominee

This was an intense day: seeking out the good stuff, gathering information and photos, a little TV talk-show action, a little fashion-show action, party at the Kona house, riding down the Strip once again. We don’t have a lot of energy at this point (and frankly, I’m the only one still awake – hey, wazzupwiddat?!?), so we’ll keep this short and sweet.

Galleries: Check out our photos from today, and if anything caught your eye from yesterday, but you’d like to know more, look again – more explanations and comments are appearing all the time.

Blogs: Eric wrote up three test rides from his time at the Outdoor Demo: the Scott Genius, Niner JET 9 and the new Rocky Mountain Altitude. Shannon wrote up an adventure with Izip electric bikes. More blogs are still being perfected. (Hey, get up, you lazy buncha so-and-sos!)

We’re in the homestretch now, but there are yet vast stretches of show floor terrain that remain unexplored. Tequila tonight, tomorrow we ride! (Um, and yeah, walk a bunch.)

The heat of the desert might have fried my Irish skin, but my big straw hat kept my brain cool enough to hopefully come away form Outdoor demo with some semi-coherent thoughts about what I rode. I started Outdoor Demo with three full-suspension bikes, the Scott Genius, Niner JET 9 and the new Rocky Mountain Altitude. Each bike went up a fire road climb  and descended on somewhat technical trail with a good mix of buff single track, bermed and off camber corners and rocks big and small.

First up Monday morning was the Scott Genius Carbon 20. Things have come a long way when you can say lightweight and six inch travel about the same bike, particularly one packing a lot of gee-whiz technology.

The fork and rear shock both sport adjustable travel, the proprietary Equalizer shock with 150-100mm and lock out settings and the Fox Talas 15mm QR fork with 120-130-150 mm settings.

Climbing up the hill in 100mm traction mode worked well, enough suspension to keep the rear wheel from spinning in the loose stuff, but not so much that it was wallowing around when my spin got sloppy.

At the top of the hill a quick push at the remote opened up the second chamber in the rear shock to allow full travel. The shock length does not change with travel adjustment, so geometry isn’t affected my the travel setting of the rear shock. I like that.

Overall the bike descended in a controlled predictable manner. Not super slack, not nervous and twitchy, just confidence building stability. The tires seemed a little thin and not meaty for such a capable bike, but I didn’t have any problems piloting it around and over the rocks and small drops on the way down the hill. That long travel fork saved me at one point when my unfamiliarity with the terrain and confidence in the bike lead to a very front heavy landing. I expected a trip over the bars, but the Genius shook it off and held its line. Splendid way to start the day.

I walked  to the Niner both hoping to score a ride on the 6.5″ WFO, but I was told it was not available for test rides, although I did get quite a informative rundown on the big travel bike from Niner’s Chris Sugai. Pictures and more info at a later date. After eyeballing the redesigned RIP 9 I decided a ride on the JET 9 was in order and  I was promptly set up for a test ride by no other than newly crowned National Ultra Endurance Series single speed champion and Niner team rider John “Fuzzy” Myline.

The Niner made quick work of the climb up the hill, with little bob and great traction. There was a platform option on the shock, but I left it switched off and never felt the need to turn it on. I should have more to say about the linkage and suspension action while climbing, but really it works so well I didn’t really think about it, I just rode the bike up the hill.

Descending was a little weird until I dropped about 5 psi from the front tire and the unsettled feeling went away. After that, much like climbing, the bike did as I asked with no fuss. It was easy to stay centered on the bike and pilot it around, no need for dramatic weight shifts, big lean angles on excessive steering input. I could very much see myself pedaling one of these at the Wilderness 101 or Shenandoah 100 next year.

 My next stop was the Rocky Mountain booth, where I was thinking about throwing a leg over a Slayer SXC but instead ended up on the new Altitude.

This bike was completely under my radar for new 2009 products but it looks to be another great entry into the 5-5 1/2″ travel trail bike marketplace. Both carbon and aluminum frames will be available at multiple price points. Two design points stood out for me: a chainstay pivot 1cm above the rear axle and a 76º (yep seventy six degrees) seat tube angle.

The seat tube angle seemed way to steep for me to be happy with it, but I was surprised that once I was on and pedaling up the hill the over the pedals position didn’t bother me. The seat tube angle is designed to keep the rider’s weight a bit more over the front of the bike while climbing and it worked wheel keeping the front ended planed with less rider input than some other longish travel bikes I’ve ridden. The platform switch was needed to tame a bit of bob, but it still left the suspension active enough to keep the rear wheel from spinning in the loose stuff.

Pointed down the hill the Altitude took less time to adjust to the handling than any other 26″ bike I’ve ridden in quite a while. My brain now mentally defaults to 29″ wheels and usually needs a few rides to get used to a new 26″ wheeled ride, but the Rocky was right there from the start. Handling was on the quick end of stable, great for riding all day with comfort and control. On my list to look into for a test in the upcoming year, for sure.

Time to get back out on the convention floor so I’ll save the other bikes for another post.