The hairiest of Surly, just barely.

There are two Surly employees you've probably never heard of. This does not mean they are not doing important jobs, quite the contrary.

Meet Gigi

Here we see Gigi testing our Endomorph tires for sidewall durability and wet weather performance. After this test we also learned that dog blood shows up suprisingly well on an Endomorph. Gigi didn't care. Gigi belongs to Johnny. They both enjoy product testing, being aggressive, whining when left alone, drinking beer, and humping. Johnny's spring project has been teaching Gigi to ride in a trailer and wear a backpack. Discuss.

Meet Wilma

Wilma's pretty good at nosing her ball in everyone's crotch until you throw it for her. Andy falls for this most often...not a suprise. It's worth mentioning that Wilma's only got front wheel drive, as she lost one of her rear legs as a puppy. So, when Andy tossed the ball a little too close to Nick's cube wall, Wilma did the ultimate butt powerslide into the wall while trying to stop. The wall moved about 6 inches, the dog freaked, and about 30 cans toppled to the floor. Retriever that she is, Wilma started picking up all the cans and delivering them to us. Good girl.

Stock update.

We just received some fancy new things. Black Steamroller frames and complete bikes are in stock and they look real nice. You can order one up today from your favorite local bike shop.

Fruita. Sounds delicious just saying it. But when you venture westward, go there and place your feet on the pedals, wheels in the track and ride; when you feel the moisture sucked out of your body; when the dust creeps in and the taste of the trail permeates your entire being; when you find yourself alone at twilight with the western desert on fire before your very eyes and a few miles of beautiful, empty trail still ahead; when you replenish at days’ end in the company of friends old and new AND the next day presents a chance to do it all over again – only then will you realize this place is magical.

I am no gonzo MTBer or gear geek. Sure, full-squishy wonderbikes are de rigueur in Fruita (and the rest of the MTB world for that matter). I suppose they’re nice. Maybe I should ride one sometime. But, you see, I love my 1X1, thank you.

This was my second time in Fruita for the Fat Tire Fest. My first trip out I almost took the bike with its rigid fork and all. Some friends talked me into installing a Reba. I can fully appreciate that slice of technology, but it never crosses my mind to bemoan a single gear. I don't find myself wanting to curse my way up the occasional steep climb I’ve had to hop off and walk. Admittedly, I chuckle to myself a little when a rider is trailside with a geared bike upside down trying to fix some drivetrain snafu. Sure, I help out, but after I gently rub it in that I haven't been experiencing any derailleur problems ...

Some folks I’ve talked to dismiss singlespeeding as a dying fad or an outright exercise in futility. While I’ll admit I pride myself in learning to do well many things others regard as senseless or impractical, I’d argue the Zen-like joy of singlespeeding is neither. But I don’t need to convince you. Even though sometimes it seems to me that most of those left in the singlespeed mountain crowd have moved onto exotic materials and custom frames, I figure they’re still grooving for the same reasons. They’re grinning too when they fly past a geared rider on a climb or ride up on someone’s fully suspended arse on a descent.

Fancy singlespeeds that cost more than all the cars I’ve ever owned sure look purdy and I bet they ride nice, too. But I’ll happily spend my money on beer and more bike bits. The 1X1 rocks – still, after all these years. I was reminded of that yet again in Fruita a couple of weeks ago. If you get the chance to go, do it. Just don’t be afraid to run what you brung.

A view from Rustlers, the perfect casual wind down loop before heading back to the car.

Brother Nick showing us all how it's done aboard the Karate Monkey. On and off the trail, he was on his game all week.

You can check out more photos. (Sorry ... titles coming soon.)

Special thanks to Troy and Sarah, as well as the entire staff and crew at Over the Edge. Your hospitality, friendship and kindness are a big part of what make this grand industry of ours go 'round.

It was on this date in 1927 that Charles Lindberg landed The Spirit of St. Louis at 10:22pm on Le Bourget Field, thirty three and one half hours after takeoff from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, completing the world's first transatlantic flight. 300 people in New York witnessed his takeoff and thought they had seen a minor miracle occur, since his plane was so heavily laden with fuel it almost didn't make it off the ground in time to clear a string of telephone lines at the edge of Roosevelt Field. Upon landing, however, a crowd of 50,000 gorgeous women and 50,000 short, creepy men with pencil-mustaches and baguettes rushed his plane in jubilation (causing him to cut the engine post haste lest members of the teeming throng be chopped to mush by the propeller), and carried Lucky Lindy off the field on their shoulders. This feat was astonishing in its day, a marathon for Lindy and the marker of a major advance in industry and technology. Notable for our purposes is that airplanes were invented by bicycle mechanics.

It was a scant 25 years to the day later that a little baby was born sporting a mohawk, lots of gold jewelry, and tons of attitude. Mr. T turns 57 today. As Emily pointed out, I pity the fool who don't know that.

The completion of a new stove, early last week, prompted me to pack up the Pug and take the scenic route to work, incorporating an overnight stay along the river en route.

The Pugsley was definetely suited to the low spots on the trail where river juice and a previous day’s light rain had turned the riverbank soil into slick, brown gumbo. Epic Designs frame bags, an Old Man Mountain front rack, and minimalist, modified Axiom panniers gave me ample room to securely carry all my gear over varying terrain.



When the sun dipped behind the horizon, I found a sweet site, 200 meters from the trail, and set up for the evening.

Once again, my Hennessy Hammock was the chosen shelter, because it's a dependable vehicle to sweet dreams. It took me a couple years and some long, cool, sleep-deprived nights to figure out how to stay warm in this shelter when temperatures hover in the freezing range. But after a lot of experimentation with many kinds of insulation, I’ve found that the use of Hennessy’s Undercover and Underpad, in conjunction with top and bottom quilts, creates one of the most comfortable beds I’ve used out of doors in the spring, summer, and fall seasons. A form-fitting, purpose-made underquilt is on the upgrade wish list.

The newest stove, measuring 15cm in diameter x 30cm high, was positioned near the base of one of the trees supporting the hammock. I made this woodburner from three large coffee cans: 2 for the firebox, 1 cut apart for the door and miscellaneous bits. The firebox separates into 2 parts, so I can store my chimney, full Klean Kanteen, and rolled-up sitting pad inside it during transport. The internal pressure from the stored items keeps the stove from collapsing or denting when it is strapped to the top of my bike rack. It features an almost-airtight firebox, due to a close-fitting door and spotwelded construction, and a baffle to keep the flame from shooting directly up the chimney.





Like my other stoves, this one is designed around the following criteria:

* Low weight
* Fast, tool-free assembly
* Construction from low-cost or free, easy-to-find materials
* Easy to transport on foot or bike
* The means to boil water in a Klean Kanteen
* Accommodations for my 130cm-tall roll-up stainless chimney

I’m not concerned about the stove’s ability, or lack thereof, to boil a liter of water in 5 minutes. I simply want to heat a small shelter or protected outdoor space with a small amount of wood, compared to an open campfire. If I get 500ml of water boiling in 20 minutes, I’m satisfied. The light and heat given off from one of these low-budget units adds to the camping experience, not unlike an open fire, while giving me the ability to control the combustion rate, focus the radiated heat, route the smoke up and away from my lungs, and keep the sparks confined to the firebox and chimney.

The first firing was a success, but I have some fine-tuning and reinforcing to do before the next outing. This isn’t the perfect stove, of course. It is, instead, a fast, inexpensive way to test design concepts in the field. The construction and design of the next stove will likely be much different than the current one. Eventually, I’ll settle upon a list of specifications and features that will warrant the purchase of durable materials and justify the time investment required to build a stove that will last a number of years in the field.

Good weather and an understanding spouse have allowed me to camp out one night per week for the last 4 weeks. I don’t need to disappear for a week at a time. The 24-hour outings satisfy my desire to test/tweak my gear and enjoy some quiet time in the woods, without drastically disrupting my home and work life. If the weather forecast doesn’t drastically change, I’ll be back out there in a couple of days...making fire and geeking out on the design of the vessel that harbors it.

When my friend told me he was getting married on the same weekend as the Fruita Fat Tire Festival weekend, I questioned his choice to even get married.

"Would you get married on the fishing day opener?" I asked

"Hell no" he replied

"Then what's your problem, don't you know that's the most Fruitarded weekend of the year?" I scolded

"Can you grow a beard and get a nice suit for the wedding?" he asked

"Sure, anything for you, except the beard part" I responded. And I accepted the fact that I'd miss Fruita that year. As it turned out, the wedding was awesome, but it was three years until I finally got back to Fruita.

Sov, Fleck, Pieplow and myself were enlisted this year to go stone-cold rep our crap for the weekend. You know, really cram our product down the throats of unsuspecting people. Tell them our 0.3% carbon technology tubing will make them look faster and ride hipper.

But you know, that's really not our style. Sleep deprivation, long rides, leaving the party late, comparing the # of turds for the day with your friends, laughing until it hurts and keeping Tater from giving you whisker kisses are pretty much our style. I'll just let the photos do the talking. But if you ever get a chance to ride your bike in Fruita, do it.

Nick's Fruita photos here