So I got to ride a demo “Pacenti” 650b steel frame this past weekend. One of the guys I ride with got the 650 demo from Kirk Pacenti of Bikelugs.com. Kirk also supplied a White Brothers 650 fork too. Upon mounting the bike I felt like it had been built for me. Considering my riding buddy and I are practically the same height and same build, I wasn’t surprised that I felt comfortable on it from the first spin of the cranks. Within a couple of miles I had gotten use to the handling of a different frame, wheel size, touchy hydraulic brakes (I use mechanical) and from that point on I had a blast!!!

The 650b demo cornered great, it accelerated fast, climbed great, snaked through tight technical spots, I could flick it around with ease - like I did with my old 26er frames, the front wheel didn’t dive on ledges like those larger wheels.

The Pacenti steel frame was unbelievable! The frame reacted perfectly to every action I made and I felt one with the bike. Considering this is a demo bike, I was really impressed with how great it felt to me and how quickly I felt more at home on it, than my own bike that I have setup for myself. The steel felt lively, active and was more pleasurable to ride than my aluminum frame. Combined with the 650b wheelset, the bike railed through corners faster, tighter and accelerated out of the corners so fast that it was like I was a kid riding the Himalaya Carnival Ride at the beach. With a giant Grit-Eatin Grin I just couldn’t get enough of this bike and the 650b wheels.

The White Brothers Fork hooked up great too! At no time did I notice any lateral flex in the fork, it held my lines perfectly. My buddy had the fork set a little stiffer on the compression that I normally prefer, but regardless it performed perfectly and I would definitely get a White Brother’s fork for my 650b I plan to build.

The Neo Moto & Quasi Moto 650b tires hooked up great and never once did they break traction in a corner. It’s hard for me to say if the wheels seemed so fast because of the tires or the 650b wheels, because I have nothing to compare them to. I got to ride a demo 650b and it was the first 650b I’ve ever ridden. But I can compare the Neo Moto & Quasi Moto tires to past experiences from other tires on 26″ and 29″bikes and the Neo Moto & Quasi Moto performed great, tracked perfectly, had great traction on hard packed earth in slightly sandy corners and climbed over roots and rocks without spinning from loose of traction.

I wish I had only had more time on the demo. Considering how perfect of a ride the bike was, I can’t even image how much better it would have been if I had my preferred saddle, shifters and fork air pressure set. The Pacenti frame and 650b wheels are rolling perfection!

All in all this is the best riding bike and wheel size I’ve even been on. I told my buddy, “If Kirk was here and I could convince him… I’d trade him bike for bike”. The Neo Moto & Quasi Moto tires hooked up great too! Never once did they break traction and I was taking lines I normally avoid on my 29er. Yea a 29er can roll over stuff, but my 29ers are not nearly as nimble through the tight technical local trails as the Pacenti 650b demo bike I was riding.

After a 10 mile loop I knew I had to have one… I’m sold on 650b wheels. When I got back home from the ride I tore down one of my 29ers. Time to sell off some parts for my 650b.

The bike build:
Pacenti Custom Steel 650b frame
Pacenti Neo Moto tire on front wheel
Pacenti Quasi Moto tire on rear wheel
White Bros 650b Fork
DT Swiss 240 hubs
Stans ZTR 355 rims
DT Swiss double butted spokes
King Headset
SRAM X rear D
Time peddles

Follow Up, Second ride on the demo

Quote “I wish I had only had more time on the demo.”
Well my wish came true today, and I got the opportunity to ride the Pacenti 650b Demo bike for about half a loop at a local trail called “Poplar Tent”. With hair-pin turns as tight as a bike is long, scattered rock gardens you can launch from or snake through, washed out ruts that will suck your wheel and throw off your line, multiple log obstacles and then there’s the Gravity Cavity… there’s plenty of stuff to prove a bike’s handling capabilities!

I had my 29er with me and that’s what I rode for most of the ride. My buddy had the Pacenti 650b demo. It was a perfect day, the trails where slightly tacky from a rain two days ago, the sky was a perfect blue and the temperature was cool. We hit the trail at 9:30AM. From the very start of the ride, I found myself constantly having to get out of the saddle to build up momentum just to stay on my buddy’s rear wheel. At every corner he walked away from me because he could navigate the turn faster, tighter and accelerate out of the corner faster than I on my 29er. Every climb we came to was practically the same situation, he could spin up the 650b wheels faster and leave me with ease. In order to stay with my buddy I was constantly out of the saddle and hammering just to keep my momentum up on this tight technical trail.

Eventually he asked me if I wanted to ride the 650b… I didn’t hesitate! Spinning up the wheels I quickly put some distance between us and I got to drop the hammer on him for a change. The 650b snaked through the every tight little nook and cranny of Poplar Tent with ease and shot out of the corners like a rocket. It navigated every log crossing and rock garden better than my 29er and I got to have more fun flicking the bike around and off the various trail obstacles.

Eventually he wanted the demo back and I found myself playing catch up for most of the ride. The only time I could stay on his wheel without having to spend more energy than him was on the straighter sections of the trail, but those are few and far between at Poplar Tent.

Poplar Tent was also a great location to ride to get the full experience of riding a steel frame too. It was unbelievable and my next frame will most definitely be a steel frame. I’ve been riding aluminum frames for the past 12 years out of 17 years of riding. I really dig the bikes I have and have had over the years, but the feeling of riding a great designed bike with premium tubing was truly remarkable and I just can’t get around it…

I must have steel!
I must have a 650b!
I must have a Pacenti designed frame!

After the wreck my front wheel useless and needed a new rim. I stripped the Reba off my bike and dropped off the wheel for a rebuild. I then used a back-up front wheel and installed an RST M-29 fork. From that point on all my issues with line drifting in corners where solved, but the extra weight of the RST M-29 was a sacrifice that I really didn’t want to make. So after about two weeks of riding with the RST M-29, I eventually re-installed the Reba Race to give it another shot and if pleased with it’s performance with a different front wheel, I could lighten my bike by a pound of weight.

With the Reba Race installed and a different and stronger front wheel I notice the lateral stiffness of the front while in corners was much improved. There was still a little flexiness laterally, but I could live with it. Eventually I came to the conclusion that the Reba Race combined with a light weight wheel set is where the real issues existed while cornering. So when I got my repaired front wheel back I just hung it on the garage wall and continued riding with the Reba Race and the stronger spare wheel I had installed.

After about 4 months I got a new and even stronger wheelset built up and my lines while cornering have improved greatly. I still notice a bit of flex coming from the Reba Race, but with the right wheelset, it is at a minimum and I don’t have any plans to replace the Reba… I can live with it’s performance as it is.

But would I buy another Reba Race in the future?
Well the answer to that is possibly, but I would research other fork options before I just dropped some cash on one.

And would I recommend it?
Yes, but that all depends on the rider and what kind of trail use they intend to use it on. It’s an XC fork and considering I ride XC and All Mountain, I feel at times I am pushing the fork beyond it’s intended use.

Cane Creek’s Thudbuster is a great option in a suspension post. It’s parallelogram design gives up to 3 inches of travel to allow you to ride stronger for longer. Telescoping posts can suffer from stiction and their action changes the seat height more dramatically. The Thudbuster’s travel works in the natural path of the rear wheel, so it soaks up bumps fluidly and it’s travel has less impact on saddle height. The posts add some weight to your ride, but the weight increase is less than what would be added by moving to a full blown FS design. The LT model weighs in at around 460g depending on the size and length, and can be had for around $150. I have used several models over the years and they have held up well to quite a bit of abuse. Cane Creek has refined the post construction and pivot design over the years so the quality seems to keep getting better.

Thudbusters are available in 2 travel ranges, the 3″ LT model tested here and a 1.3″ travel option labeled the ST. There are several seatpost diameters and post lengths available to choose from. Give your lower back a break and pick up a Thudbuster.

Since then I’ve been using the Ergon GP1 grips. The large grips are designed with an ergonomically thickened profile that is intended to distribute pressure evenly over a larger surface of the hand. The grips take a bit of getting used to, but once you get their angle adjusted to your liking and spend some time with them, they do just as advertised. I’ve seen some folks comment on feeling less in control of the bike, but I think that’s just part of getting used to them. I feel as in control as ever and don’t have the same soreness problems that I once struggled with. The grips are a bit pricey coming in at around $25. There are options that include nicely designed, though small, built in bar ends, and a couple of the grips come in 2 sizes.

Specialized has their own ergonomic grip options on the market that include a grip that is similar to the Ergon along with a couple of smaller models. The grip I picked up is a new one from their line called the Comfort II grip and it sells for around $20. It is like a smaller version of the Ergon model that provides a platform designed to relieve pressure, but the grip section that is located at the heal of your hand is a little smaller. This grip is a great option for folks who are looking for increased comfort but don’t want to take the plunge to the larger Ergon style grips.

Both grips include lock-on style clamps that lock the grips to the bars. If you’re looking for a little more comfort you can’t go wrong with either of these options.

Mavic has been making quality rims and wheels for years. Their mountain bike wheels have had a good reputation for durability and for remaining true under fire, but their freehubs have been the target of some criticism for requiring extra maintenance. Mavic has made a move to correct any of the previous issues by redesigning the freehub to increase durability. One thing that has always been a trait of Mavic wheels is their silky smooth bearings. Just a quick turn of the axle will show you how smooth a set of bearings can be.

While a 29 in wheel is known for rolling more smoothly over rough terrain, the wheels are inherently heavier so picking up a light wheelset really helps with accelerating and climbing. I was in the market for a reasonably light set of wheels that would still take a beating. After researching options pretty thoroughly I decided to pick up a set of the $775 Mavic Crossmax 29ers. To better handle the increased lateral torque inherent with a 29er wheel (increased distance from hub to rim), Mavic chose to base this set on their 26” SX model, a wheel design for ‘all mountain’ riding, that has proved to be a very durable part of their line. Another nice feature is that they are true UST rims, meaning they don’t require rim strips or tape. That all sounded good to me.

Right out of the box I was impressed with the way the wheels looked. Hubs, spokes and rims are all black and the decals add some flair without being too flashy. 24 staight pull, oversized, alloy spokes are anchored to the well detailed machined hubset. The wheels weigh in at just under 1800 grams a set which is pretty respectable. You can certainly build or buy lighter wheels for your 29er, but going much lighter would start to raise some durability questions for my riding style.

The wheels have spoke holes in the outer surface of the rim, but the inner surface is solid and the welded connection holds air without sealant. Even with the UST rating on the rims, there aren’t any true UST tires out for 29ers so you’ll still need to run a sealant to keep the tire casings from leaking air. I’m currently running the wheels with tubes - I plan to set them up tubeless using Stan’s sealant, but have just been lazy. Mounting tires up was straight forward. Tires fit a bit tight which should be good for going tubeless. Included with the wheels package was a pair of valve stems for going tube free.

These wheels have been ridden pretty hard. I haven’t babied them at all and they remain true and round. I did touch the wheels up a bit after the first couple of rides, but haven’t had to touch them again since then. The bearing adjustment tool that is included with the wheels works well and the bearings continue to roll smoothly and have maintained adjustment without trouble. Acceleration is much improved over the stock wheels and they were responsive when climbing. These wheels are stiff, with very little lateral flex. Even on short steep climbs out of the saddle, they stay firm and transfer power very efficiently.

All in all the wheels have been good to me. They aren’t cheap, but seem like they will hold up well. I’m a little concerned with the availability of spokes on short notice, so I plan to pick up a few spares to keep on hand. I was also concerned with the lower spoke count, but that hasn’t proved to be a valid concern - with the oversized alloy spokes they seem as solid as a standard 32 hole wheelset. I would certainly recommend them to riders looking for reasonably light wheels that are able to take some abuse. You may be able to buy lighter 29er wheels than the Mavics, but I doubt you’ll find many options that offer a better balance of weight and durability.

There’s nothing worse than an uncomfortable saddle. Going out for longer rides on a saddle that doesn’t fit is no fun, but the thought of heading out for long day number two, or even long day number three on that same saddle is enough to bring tears to your eyes.

After trying several saddles over the last few years and not finding the right one, I thought I’d give Specialized a shot and picked one up. It turned out to be a wise choice for me as the shape and width of the saddle provided a comfortable ride for extended time on the bike.

Specialized has upped the ante in their saddle line, having recently released a couple of new mountain and road models. I decided to go with the 143mm wide Phenom Gel mountain bike model, which retails for $95 and weighs in at around 295 grams. The feature that sets it apart from the rest is that it includes a thickened section of padding at the nose of the saddle. The idea is that when you are climbing while seated you will typically lean forward and put more pressure on the nose. The extra padding in this area is designed to provide a little extra cushion for pushing hard against the saddle on tough climbs and the flexible shell helps soak up the rough stuff. They have also included some hardened plastic corner edges at the rear to help protect the saddle in a crash. All are good ideas that seem to work.

Seeing the word Gel in the name of any product always makes me think of those huge overstuffed gel padded saddle covers that you see on comfort bikes. In this case, however, you’ll find a saddle that is light and lean, without any extra fluff. The main body of the saddle is covered in a light padding that’s a mix of gel and foam. There’s just enough gel in there to give a little extra cushion, but not enough that you can feel it squirming around underneath you.

Specialized has done a lot of R&D in the design of their Body Geometry line of products. On the saddle front they have consulted with medical professionals to develop saddles that relieve pressure on your sensitive parts, and ensure that blood is flowing to these vital areas. Specialized has also developed a measurement system that includes a memory foam pad that you sit on to determine the spacing of your ‘sit bones’. Saddles are available in as many as 3 widths, depending on the saddle you choose. Just choose a style and match up the size to your measurement.

Saddle choice is a personal thing - we’re all different. There’s no saddle on the market that will provide the perfect fit for everyone. Specialized has produced a design that has some thoughtful features that can make your time in the saddle more enjoyable. Check out there line – you should find a comfortable saddle to suit you needs.

Description from SRAM’s website:

• Stylish and Strong! A forged 6061 aluminum B-Knuckle improves stiffness while the X.9 styling exudes our commitment to quality. X.9 is now available in three cage sizes.
• World Cup Proven Composite Cage
• Outside Facing Limit Screws - Intuitive Adjustment
• Sealed Bearing Upper Pulley
• Di.R.T: Direct Route Technology™
• 1:1 Actuation Ratio™ Superior Shift Quality
• Weight: Short 212g / Medium 227g / Long 230g

While visiting a local bike shop I picked up a SRAM X9 medium rear derailleur. Back at the home shop, I got the stand out and pulled the old rear derailleur off my bike. Installed fresh cable housing and pulled fresh shifter cables. I then installed my new SRAM X9 rear derailleur. At this point I sighted down the top sprocket of the SRAM rear derailleur and lined it up with the smallest cog on my cassette. Pulled the shifter cable through the rear derailleur and bolted it down. I looked at my work and checked the cable housing again to insure it was all seated correctly.

So I began spinning the cranks and found no signs of skipping. Next I ran through the gears, up and down, through the big chain rind, middle chain ring, little chain ring and back up. No skipping, a little chatter, but nothing a dial of the barrel wouldn’t fix. I made one twist of the shifter barrel and the chatter vanished. I thought to myself, “that was easy” and took my bike for a spin in the neighborhood for a test. I was surprised to find that the X9 shifted clean, shifted perfectly right from the bike stand. I ran though all the gears while peddling and then hammered it up a hill while shifting to see how well it handled shifting under a load and every time it shifted and completed the shift with zero chatter or skips. I’ve built many bikes over the years and I pride myself in how tight I can get my shifting dialed in. But SRAM’s X9 rear derailleur makes it so easy to dail in, that there’s no magic to it.

My first trail ride with the SRAM X9 was uneventful… and this is a good thing. I didn’t have to bother with the shifter adjustment at all. It was still dialed in right from the bike stand and the shifting was very clean. I hit most of the gear range that day and everything performed perfectly. A couple of days later I took my bike out for another spin. Expecting to have to adjust the shifter barrel a bit to compensate for cable stretch I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was still dialed in and no adjustments where needed. Same goes for the third ride. On the forth outing, I did notice a little chatter coming from the rear derailleur. So I made a 1/4 turn of the shifter adjustment barrel while riding my bike to take up a bit of cable stretch and the chatter stopped instantly. The cable finally settled in after a few more rides and with a couple of additional adjustments to compensate the X9 was set.

As for X9’s performance, it was very apparent that this derailleur meant business. Every time I hit the shifter the X9 would engage instantly… no hesitations, it slammed right into place and the chain followed it’s command, with zero chatter during the shift and the action of the shift was clean and precise! I was also very pleased with the performance of the X9 while shifting under a load during climbs. It’s one thing to test it around the neighborhood, but it’s a completely different story when you’re out on the trail and this is the real test and the X9 performed like a champ! Shifting loaded or unloaded the X9 did it’s job and did it well.

I couldn’t have been more pleased with the performance of the x9. Durability translates to X9! Since I installed my X9 I have put it through the ringer, it’s be smacked by logs, stumps, dragged across the ground during wrecks and pelted by rocks, yet it is still in great condition and the mechanical components are still tight and responsive. I recently replaced the X9 shown above that I had installed on my geared full suspension, with an X9 long cage. I’ll be migrating my older X9 Medium Cage Rear Derailleur to a 1×9 I plan to build up in the very near future. I know I can count on my X9s for many years of use and they’ll take the beating I’ll throw at them!

Worth the price? Yea, it’s worth every penny I dropped on it, otherwise I wouldn’t have purchased another one. I’d highly recommend the X9 to a friend and if you’ve never tried one before… next time you’re in the market to purchase a new rear derailleur, you should definitely keep it in mind as a possible solution. I’m certain you won’t be disappointed.