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Full Spectrum Cycling
Weekly Dose of Fat – 10-3-14 – with Ned Overend – Show #24
Oct 3, 2014
Weekly Dose of Fat – 10-3-14 – with Ned Overend – Show #24
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0:03
Weekly Dose of Fat, show number 24 for Friday, October, I don't know, 2014?
0:11
[upbeat music] From the planet Nootron in the Fat Bike Galaxy, it's the Weekly Dose of Fat with your cosmonauts, Sven and Gomez.
0:38
Welcome to the Weekly Dose of Fat. This is your uncle Gomez, asking the question, where is Sven Hammer? Over here in the rear with a bottle of beer. [laughs] And- Pisso.
0:52
[laughs] And joining us in the studio today is JK Livin. Hi. [laughs] And we have the dopest band in the land, Chris Daisy and the Dose of Fat Band. This show is sponsored by the Surly long sleeve Merino wool jersey.
1:08
It's like a warm, soft hug from Mr. Snuffleupagus. Mm. Mm. No matter what street, trail, or alley that you cycle, you can find good common sense cycling doodads and thingamabobs at surlybikes.com. Dot com. Dot com.
1:24
Hey, we topped 14,000 likes on the Facebook last weekend. According to Facebook, we're huge in Bangkok, Thailand. Hey, everybody, there's some fun facts.
1:34
The population of Thailand is 63 million people, and blah, blah, blah, blah. They have thighs on them? [laughs] Thai- Thailand. [laughs] They have thighs there. It's like just a land full of thighs. Yes. Oh, magic land.
1:46
So we've got one hell of a show on deck for this week. Tell us what the good folks at home can look forward to on the show, JK.
1:54
Well, this week we talk to mountain bike Hall of Famer and reigning US National Fat Bike champion, Mr. Ned Overend. [clapping] Wah. [clapping] And then right after that- The long- You know, who really cares?
2:09
[laughs] Who cares? Who cares after- This show's all about Ned... Deadly Nedley. Pretty much. What? Or beer. Yeah, there's always the- And Ned. Oh, beer. We gotta get liquored up before we tap into it.
2:18
[laughs] Yeah, not really liquored up, just more or less beerified. Beerified. Beerification process.
2:22
So this week's beer, uh, is the Deschutes Brewing Mirror Pond Pale Ale out of that beautiful, uh, gem of the Pacific Northwest in the Three Sisters region of Oregon, Bend, Oregon. Yeah, that's not on the coast, right?
2:37
That's in the- No... yeah. It's, uh, that's on- I know, I know my geog-erm-a-phy [laughs] It's right on the, right on the, the dry side of the Cascades. Yeah, yeah. Yep, yep. And they make hops over there, I bet. Yeah.
2:48
You know those, those Oregonians, they got the beer thing going on. And this beer, we're going to, uh, we're gonna pop these babies open. [bottles tapping] Yeah. And we're gonna play a game.
2:56
We're gonna play a game of popping open the beer? [bottle cap clattering] Your, uh, beer opening [laughs] apparatus is- Wow... is, is faulty. Wow. I'm having trouble with one. Okay, they really put these caps on well.
3:10
Well, the bottle is conditioned to keep your beer fresh and enhance the flavors. [laughs] Is that the kind of- Or was the intention-... kind of voodoo that you said that the- Yeah, the bottle conditioning... salesperson?
3:19
I was like, "How the, what the?" They don't condition the bottle, they condition the beer in the bottle. They said the bottle's- Oh, bottle conditioned... bottle conditioned. I got it. All right. See?
3:26
It's the ED that lets you know it's happening in the bottle. Yeah, all right. All right. Yeah, all right. I'm not that wise, that's why. Reading program. [laughs] That's why we're on the radio.
3:34
[laughs] Tak- taking a note from Colin Ford, we're reading beer labels once again. [laughs] So- You know-... after we taste this beer, we're gonna, uh, we're gonna go around, we're gonna start off with Sven- Oh...
3:44
and we're gonna give a one-word answer which describes the flavor. This is from Brew Dogs on the Esquire Channel. We're gonna go around and- Do you have to be 18 to watch that?...
3:53
we're going to say a word until you can't come up with a word, or you repeat a word, and then you're out, and the grand champion will be the last person with that word.
4:01
So let's- J- can they be made up words, or do they have to be [laughs] real words? Real words. [laughs] Real words. Real words. Cheers with your beer. It's very hard.
4:08
You, it's not like we're gonna give you an electric shock when [laughs] when you can't come up with something. Well, I took a big old mouthful of it- Yeah... that's for sure. [laughs] Well, it's certainly hoppy.
4:22
[laughs] JK? Yes, and it's very pale ale-y. [laughs] I put two hyphens in there. [buzzer blaring] That's not pale ale-y? [laughs] It is pale ale-y. Pale ale-y. Pale, hyphen, ale, hyphen, Y. Ly.
4:36
I'm gonna say slightly sour. Ooh, that was two words. Oh, yeah. It does have a, um, tanginess to it. Ooh, tangy. Yes, it has a mouth feel. [laughs] [buzzer blaring] That's one word. Sure is. All right.
4:54
Mouth feel. Mouth feel. [laughs] More on mouth feel. It's, it's kind of mouth feel-y-ish. I'm gonna go with- Are you gonna make something up now or... Uh- I'm gonna take another- I'm out.
5:05
[laughs] I'm gonna take another swallow. I can... Is there any more hints on the label? Uh- Well, it's sideways. You have to cock your head. I don't know. It's just good pale ale style beer.
5:17
I don't really- [imitates buzzer] I, I'm not a- He said pale ale-y. I'm gonna- The winner is JK Livin, ladies and gentlemen. Woo! With the most answers ever. [laughs] But he still wins. What did you win, Doug?
5:27
Or- I, I... Wait a second, I buzzed him out twice before. [laughs] He can't come back in the game. [laughs] So Brew Dogs is a show where these two guys from Scotland come to America- It's Scot- Scottish...
5:38
and brew beer in- That's probably-... in ridiculous places. I mean, they, like, made it on a train.
5:42
I think they should come to Milwaukee and brew beer on fat bikes in the wintertime under a bridge with us, and maybe somebody that knows what they're doing.
5:53
We just got a kegerator, so when they get it done, we can keep it cold. And then- Hey... and then that's at least two beers, [laughs] two shows worth of beer, right?
6:01
[laughs] First we'll brew it, and then we'll- For Monsieur Entourage. So- I, uh, so that's a call out to the, uh, Brew Dog boys. Come to Milwaukee.
6:10
Uh, pretty much the best place to drink beer under a bridge I can imagine There's always a bridge...
6:13
Oh, this is, and since we're given, uh- Sometimes there's 30 Santas under a bridge, which is- The natural habitat of the Santa. Yeah. [laughs] They just announced the Santa Ride. Really?
6:23
It's actually in December this time. That makes more sense than being in, like, October or whatever it was last time. Yeah. That's good.
6:28
And there's a lot of carefully guarded language about being nice and not getting too drunk and- Ugh... being bad Santa. Well, the thing about that is that's gonna happen anyway. [laughs] Sorry, folks.
6:43
[laughs] Santas live under bridges. They come out... If, if it's not snowing, I don't know how you can have a Santa Ride. There was a year when it was snowing, it was so awesome.
6:51
We were going down Caesar Chavez Drive, or Chavez. Yep. Chavez, Chavez, that guy, and uh, all these San- everybody was out on the street. People were stopping cars.
7:00
They're holding their cell phones out the window taking pictures. Nobody was falling down at that point yet. Were you there when, um, 130 Santas got pulled over by the Milwaukee Police downtown? No.
7:11
Were you on that ride? No. I was on that ride. It was pretty awesome.
7:14
But the year before that, or maybe the year after that, the police met us at Great Lakes and escorted us in a parade style format all the way to Kochanski's or wherever that place was.
7:24
Yeah, and they played through the Bluetooth through their- Yeah... through their PA system- Right... played our music and stuff. Yeah, yeah, through the speaker system of the squads.
7:31
Well, the Milwaukee Police for a little while were like, "Ah, bike's bad," but then I think Mayor Tom Barrett, who was a big cycling advocate said, "Eh, bike's good." Bike's good. You know, it, it- Many lanes...
7:41
look, get the density of this place up, we're gonna need more bikes.
7:44
A lot of the places I go, on the East Side especially, are getting so packed with housing and apartments that you can't park down there anymore, so you might as well ride your bike. Yeah, true. Absolutely.
7:53
You know, I'm trying to get us a bike coral in front of the old, uh, watering hole there. Exactly. Talk to Mr. Jim about that. [laughs] Yeah. We, we need a bike cor- I've dropped, I've dropped multiple hints...
8:00
we need a bike coral next to the... What do they call that? Parklet? We don't need that. Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Get Puck to weld some sort of, you know, like what do, what do the Maasai use?
8:09
They use thorn bushes in a circle to protect them from the lions. Yeah. [laughs] They can make some sort of thorny coral. That'll, that'll stop the cement truck when I drive it through the park. [laughs] Right.
8:21
Just a glancing off. Uh- Well, our beer segment like spilled into all kinds of other stuff.
8:27
Well, it's still good beer, though, and you know, it kind of reminds me of Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale, but it's a little different. I think it's a good beer. It's not quite as bitter, I think- Uh-huh... as, as that.
8:37
It's, it's- The finish- I kind of said... Wait, can I change my answer? Sweet. No, I already said sour. The finish is- [laughs]... is not- Complex... it, yeah, the finish isn't as, um, in your face- Ooh, complex...
8:47
as Sierra Nevada. It has nice nose. A hoppy nose. Uh, yeah. Is that a actually a thing? That's what's on the label, [laughs] a distinct hop nose. Oh, okay.
8:57
[laughs] So- Well, we will be right back with the one and only Ned Overend right after this word from Texas Pete.
9:06
One taste and you'll agree you can't find a more fresh, flavorful, first quality product than Texas Pete Hot Sauce. Texas Pete makes history with every batch.
9:17
Try mixing Texas Pete with melted butter as a dipping sauce for your next order of shrimp and you'll agree nothing wakes up food like Texas Pete. TexasPete.com. You're tuned to Fat Bike Radio.
9:34
Without further ado, we welcome a man that needs no introduction to the weekly dose of fat, Mr. Ned Overend. Welcome to the show, Ned. Howdy, guys. Good to be here.
9:47
Hey, so Ned, uh, the last time we saw each other, we were sitting in the River's Edge Eatery up there in Cable, Wisconsin, and uh, you had just won the US National Fat Bike Championship at the Fat Bike Birkie.
10:00
Uh, like, uh, we talked to all the other racers up there, but we just kind of had a little conversation friendly, and we never really talked about the race and the tactics and, and what happened.
10:10
Uh, uh, can you give us a little play-by-play how the, how the race panned out from, uh, you know, the attacks and this and that? Yeah, sure. Snoop that in.
10:20
Uh, first of all, you know, that was, uh, racing in a field like that, I, I've raced in some smaller races in Colorado and, uh, you know, where there's only been a, a handful of competitive guys, you know, like Travis and Travis Brown and some of the other local riders who are strong here.
10:39
So I've never been... You know, I think we started with, like 500 racers, and uh, clearly there was an elite group of s- probably 15 guys who were in that main pack. Right. And, uh, so, so I wasn't sure what to expect.
10:55
You know, I, I'd heard several of those names, obviously, uh, you know, Jesse, and then also that, uh, Jordan Wakeley.
11:02
I think Jesse, Jesse Lalonde, but I know also that Jordan Wakeley has been, uh, has several wins and may be, may be even considered, like the dominant rider in, in the Midwest, you know?
11:13
He's a, he's a lumberjack, so- I think it's much more- [laughs] Yeah, much more competitive than, uh, than the Colorado series. You know, they have bigger races out there.
11:22
Anyway, so, so the first part was kind of about feeling it out, and uh, I think the, the pace was going pretty good up some of the longer hills on the, in the first, oh, couple miles of the race, and that's when it kind of got down to, uh, in the, well, probably about 12, 12 riders I think at that point.
11:42
And then heading out to the,
11:45
to the turnaround, you know, there were some guys who would throw in some attacks, you know, both Jordan and Jesse, and uh, they would, they would surge and then the, the group would catch up to them.
11:59
But there, there wasn't several attacks so that people were recovering and, and getting back, uh, getting back on essentially. So it was kind of hard to tell how strong the riders were, you know?
12:12
Whether everyone was just kind of playing a waiting game or whether, uh- Those riders were only strong enough to kind of follow those attacks and not counter. That's it.
12:22
But, uh, I- That's interesting because I know from Jordan and from Jesse that they went out in that first half, and they put the pedal to the metal, and they wanted to, like, kind of assert their local dominance on that elite group.
12:39
And during that, during that time, that first half of the race, one of the Alaskans, Jamie Stull, when I talked to him, he s- he told me that they were talking about themselves. They're like, "What's up with Ned?
12:51
He's, he's squirrely and all over the place," because you were sliding and all over the place.
12:57
So do you think that, were you, were you playing with those guys, or was that because it was a little harder conditions and you had shaved off all those knobs off your front tire? Well, I, I wasn't playing with the guys.
13:09
[laughs] But, uh, it's interesting. I thought a bunch of guys were, were sliding around a little bit. I was kind of... Part of that was that I was kinda trying to learn about the track, right?
13:21
Before, uh, before I really started, you know, hanging it out- Mm-hmm... and attacking, I was trying to figure out where the traction was, 'cause I, I thought those conditions...
13:32
Well, first of all, you know, I've done some fat bike racing, but not near as much as, as those other guys in that pack, right, who are from, you know, Minnesota and Wisconsin and, and, uh, Alaska. Sure.
13:45
And the conditions that I've raced up here locally are, are much different than out there. So in, for instance, I got there Thursday night, rode the course, and it was, it was fast and, uh, and pretty predictable.
14:01
Good traction. On Friday, it was frozen rain, and it was, it was almost unreliable. I mean, just going up the hills, it was like a, a half an inch of ice on the track.
14:11
Yeah, it was- And then Saturday evening- Terrifying... you know, it, it was pretty good traction, but, but hard to read 'cause there was a couple inches of snow. The, uh, it had been freshly packed.
14:22
So I was kind of searching for traction on different parts of the course and kind of experimenting with how much, uh, how fast I could get around the turns and stuff.
14:31
So I w- I was definitely sliding around a little bit at times, but I was trying to get comfortable with it. Right on. So then after, after the turnaround at Double O, uh, Jordan and, uh,
14:43
and Jesse kinda sat up, and that's when you started attacking, right? Yeah. I figured after the turnaround, there was too many guys in that lead group for me.
14:54
You know, I'm, I'm, uh, fitness is my strong point, and, uh, I'm, I don't have a lot of power at the end of the race. I don't have a lot of speed. So g- generally, I'm a pretty weak climber.
15:07
So for sure, having that many guys still in the race was, uh, was not a good situation for me.
15:14
So once we got, you know, where I c- I could kinda predict how long it would take to get to the finish, I wanted to kinda thin that pack out, so, uh, I started attacking.
15:25
I mean, I figured it would get down to maybe three, three or four guys working in a, in a group together, um, kinda drafting off each other. That, that was kinda my goal at the time.
15:37
But when I, I attacked pretty hard, the, the pack started to come apart after, after repeated attacks. And then there was some guys in, that were going with me,
15:49
but they didn't seem like they had the strength to, like, pull through. And I think it was a hard course to draft off anyway. Sure. It's not a, it's not a road race.
15:58
[laughs] Yeah, but there's s- there's so much turning, and, and it's up and down, and,
16:06
you know, you carry different momentum down the hills than these other guys, so, you know, gaps would open up just when the, these guys were going downhill.
16:12
So it seemed to me since guys weren't organizing much of an, a, a group to chase me behind that I would just try and finish the solo and see where it went from there.
16:24
And, and it's one reason I kept looking back, 'cause if it was a concerted chase, and it looked like those guys were just gonna run me down, then I, I probably would've sat up and, and ridden with the other guys in the break.
16:36
But it, it didn't seem like they had an organized chase. Yeah, both Jordan and Jesse said that they, they worked too hard on the first half of the race, and they didn't, they couldn't answer the attacks.
16:47
The Alaskans seemed to group together, and they protected one rider that ended up coming in third. Uh, so it was really an interesting tactical race. Yeah.
16:58
It's, it's also too bad that Travis had some technical issues, 'cause it would've been cool to see him, uh, be able to help out in that, that front of that group. Could've been the Colorado group. Yeah. [laughs] Yeah.
17:12
No, I, I expected Travis to be up there. And I, I'm not sure what happened with Travis.
17:17
You know, he, I think he either started with, uh, with too low of pressure in his, in his tire, or he may have been, the tire may have been leaking. Yeah.
17:27
But, uh- He had, he had some, he had some issues where he went, he went flat, so he lost air during the race. So the, uh- Yeah. And o- once you have to get off and, and put air in it, you can't...
17:38
That pack was going too fast to- Right... to kind of regain it. It had too much of a mound. So it looks like all indications are that the US National Championship race will again be at the Fat Bike Birke this year.
17:54
No official announcement as of, as of now, but I've been pestering them to make o- an official- Amy. Amy. [laughs] Amy. I'm calling Amy. Paul, can you help Amy?
18:04
And they have a new race director, but, uh, will you be back this year, do you think, to, uh, defend the crown? Well, probably. [laughs] Okay. It's, you know, it's interesting.
18:16
I have a different situation with, you know, my job with Specialized say compared to those other racers. Sure. Those other guys who are-... sponsored racers.
18:26
I mean, and, you know, I was out there for their jobs and stuff like that. You know, for sure they're gonna, they're gonna attempt to be at the most important race of the year. My job with Specialized is not as a racer.
18:39
It's in product development and d- and sports marketing. Sure. But [clears throat] the, I'm in, in this fat bike advisory group.
18:49
And those guys, you know, had said, "Well, Ned, you know, on this, on the high-performance end of fat bikes, we'd love you to do some racing."
18:55
And, uh, so I looked at, on the calendar and, you know, what are the biggest races that get the most press in the most important areas in the fat bike market? And clearly that was, that was the Birkie.
19:06
I mean, it was obvious that that was gonna be a, a huge event. So, uh, you know, we will be there, Specialized will definitely be there in some capacity.
19:15
But since I'm not e- my job at Specialized is not to race, I don't have to convince the saying, "Yes, I will be there racing." [laughs] And- It'll be-... 'cause there's a, you know, there's a lot that goes into that.
19:26
I mean, I trained all winter. I really keyed on that race. And, uh, and my, my training went perfectly. I couldn't ask for, you know, a better training situation. The weather here in Durango was right.
19:37
I c- I could ride the road down in town. Mm-hmm. And I could drive 45 minutes to the ski area and practice on fat bike stuff.
19:43
So it, that's a big combination of, uh, fat bike technique and working on, like, road bike fitness down here. Well, from a fan standpoint- It, it's a long way off. It's four months off, so that's a definite maybe.
19:57
[laughs] Sure. From a sta- from a fan standpoint, we'd love to see you race again, so in, in Wisconsin. Absolutely. Um, I, I read a little bit about you and Travis racing fatties in Colorado.
20:10
I know there's, uh, quite a few series out there. Do you and Travis get out and ride much? Yeah, you know, we don't.
20:17
Travis and I are buddies, you know, and, and, uh, we're friends, and we definitely, we run into each other and have a few beers downtown for sure. And we end up seeing each other at, at a lot of trail functions.
20:29
You know, his wife is, it's Mary Monroe, is the manager of Trails 2000, which is our trails group. So I do a bunch of functions with them. And, uh, so, so I see Travis very often, but
20:43
we do a lot of our training by ourselves, you know? And, uh, and we both end up riding a lot of, uh, prototype equipment that, uh, we don't necessarily want the other guy to be- [laughs] Sure... sneaking to look at.
20:57
[laughs] Understandable. Understandable. Sometimes we'll see each other on the trail, and if someone's riding something they don't want the other guy to be taking a peek at, they just, we just have to keep going.
21:06
[laughs] So, uh, do you, uh, do you have any favorite, uh, Rocky Mountain fat bike races or festivals out that way that our listeners should put on their calendars?
21:17
Well, there's some in- there's some interesting stuff going on. There is a, uh, the Fat Bike Summit, which was in, uh, I think it was in Ogden last year. Yep. It's going to be in Jackson Hole this year. Oh, yeah.
21:33
So I know that- That is a favorite place... it's gonna be a big deal because they have, uh, they have races there along with, uh, you know, all kinds of manufacturers and, and test bikes and stuff like that.
21:44
So I th- I think that's gonna be a pretty interesting event. I've never actually been to Jackson Hole in- Oh, it's an awesome place... in all my racing and traveling.
21:51
So, uh, that would be, that sounds like it's gonna be a cool event. That's a great town. Yep, definitely fun. Long as Dick Cheney's out of town. [laughs] [laughs] Well, muchísimas gracias for joining us on the show, Ned.
22:05
We really appreciate it. Yeah. So honestly, uh, you know, the reason why we didn't ask you, why I didn't interview you after the race is I was kind of starstruck, so it's- I was sitting next to him having a beer.
22:15
I love Ned. [laughs] From, from a fan standpoint, I'm just, uh, I'm in, I'm in heaven here, so thanks. Yeah. Look, I'll tell you, I'm, I'm excited to be part of this whole fat bike movement, you know?
22:29
And, and I think at that race, you know, and, and afterwards at the, the restaurant and the, uh, the award ceremony and stuff, you, you could tell the, the vibe reminds me of mountain biking.
22:42
You know, a very core group of cyclists that are, that are all about having fun, and they got a great attitude. And, uh, I'm excited about it. I'm excited to see the sport grow and, and continue to be part of it.
22:54
Oh, very cool. Yeah. Awesome. Well, thanks again, Ned. Great to have you on the show. Yeah. It's good talking to you guys. Take care now. You're tuned to Fat Bike Radio. Hi, this is Jordan Wakeley.
23:09
When I'm not winning races, I'm listening to Sven and Gomez on Fat Bike Radio. [whistles] This is your weekly dose of fat. Welcome back to the radio program.
23:21
This just in, if you haven't tried to go tubeless on your fatty, you probably should. Or maybe you shouldn't according to Sven. [laughs] Well, you know, it, it...
23:29
[laughs] Yeah, my, my theory on that is if your, if your wheels and tire combo doesn't set up easily, put a tube in there, you know? You can go through a lot of effort and a lot of trouble.
23:40
There's a lot of good combos out there that do work well though, so if you wanna go tubeless, y- do a little research and find the ones that do it easily. Yeah.
23:47
And then get some rubber gloves and a big drop cloth and, uh, some beakers and a sealant injector and get ready for a mess that is just sloppy. You ever seen Jim do it? He doesn't get a drop on him. Really?
24:02
I'm, I'm gonna come in here- [laughs]... and kind of learn the secret. The secret to Jim is
24:08
n- he- I, I, I'm probably just romantically thinking that these new carbon wheels, that this The feeling that I'm getting of this ease of rolling over everything is probably due to the maybe two pounds of lightness, but I romantically think, "Eh, it's tubeless."
24:24
It does have a, it does, it does have an effect on your, um, ability to f- to, uh, get traction on stuff that's uneven, and you can feel it.
24:33
I, I definitely understand what you're saying 'cause I've been rolling my trail bike for two years tubeless about, and we just switched over my beach bike from Unholy Rolling Darryl's to the Sarma rims we've had running around that Jim's been running on, and he set those up tubeless.
24:50
Three pound savings on that bike. And, uh, big fat Larry's tubeless, pretty cool. Yeah, big fat Larrys. I just don't know about running them at, like, four PSI. I hate to break a bead and spooge all over the place.
25:00
[laughs] Yeah, the only thing about those Surly tires is they have all those mold sprues all the way around the- Sprues... all the way around the bead. That's 'cause they're not officially tubeless compatible. Right.
25:11
Right. [laughs] But they do work. I wonder if that'll change. I wonder if they can go and put some Spackle in that mold. [laughs] Well, you know- Make it smooth...
25:19
they, the same, the same place that makes the now f- tubeless ready tires for another Q brand, uh, also makes them, so I'm sort of sure they can do it. Sure. And why not? It doesn't really hurt anything.
25:30
So here's a question for you, all, all you Alaskan guys, that y'all love tubeless, is how can you run tubeless with a liquid, a liquid sealant in the tire and not run hydros? Not run liquid in your brakes. Yeah.
25:46
That's actually a pretty good question. Did you dream of that last night? Well, I just- 'Cause I-... thought of that. It's like- I-... there's, there's- He, he didn't even come up with that in the read through, folks...
25:53
[laughs] We didn't even have that in the read through, but I just thought of that. Because we talked about I'm gonna bust the paradigm of everyone says, "Oh, you have to run mechanicals. Don't run hydros."
26:04
Well, I read on the internets a guy responded to- Uh, is your name Joe? [laughs] I don't- The internet told me... I don't often glean much knowledge from the internets, including- That's 'cause-... my own stuff...
26:16
that's 'cause we're the providers of said knowledge. Thank you. [laughs] Wow. Well- That just got really meta... or, or said nonsense.
26:22
[laughs] But anyway, this guy said, "All you guys are just mimicking each other and saying these things because that's the way it's always been.
26:31
The reality for lower 48 people is the coldest it's ever been when I went for a ride- Minus 73 in Montana. [laughs] No. It was minus eight... Oh, I think the coldest it's ever been. Oh.
26:42
But the coldest you've ever ridden in, minus eight. Minus eight. Yeah, minus 14 here, so. So, e- and, and I know you've been running hydros for years. I've never really run mechanical brakes.
26:52
I, a couple of bikes I ride have 'em, but- Yeah...
26:55
the main thing for me, aside from the fact that we don't ride in 40 below weather, and I really don't think that's an issue anyway, is that on our beach rides, they self-adjust.
27:05
So if you're running the, the most common, uh, mechanical brake out there, in an 18-mile ride on the beach, you run out of brakes- Right... because the sand wears everything down, and they don't self-adjust.
27:14
Yeah, you could get down there and twist it, but, you know.
27:16
Well, what really made me look into it was we got the Borealis Echo test bike in, and Fixie Dave Nice had the levers set all the way inside s- Fixie Dave not that nice last time I saw him. He isn't? No, he's very nice.
27:31
[laughs] I was trying to think- Wow. Your face was dropped. Yeah. [laughs] No, he's an awesome guy. Yeah, Fixie Dave is... I mean, [laughs] We didn't say that in the read through either. Really? Really?
27:45
No, he is one of the nicest guys out there. [clears throat] He, he's very nice.
27:48
So he set this test bike up with the levers all run all the way in so I could single finger brake with my index fingers, which leaves most of my hand attached to the grip, and with the c- better modulation of these new XT brakes, I think I go faster due to these brakes because I'm not panic braking.
28:06
I'm, I'm just barely touching the, the- Your, your sphincter isn't gra- Yeah... gripping the seat because you're not slowing down [laughs] when you should be. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So- Yeah...
28:15
uh, so I had, uh, I threw a set- [clears throat]... of XT brakes on my, uh, on my fat back, and I have them running single finger, index finger.
28:25
I had to do a little monkeying around because I use those, uh, old, those, uh... What are, what are those called? The thumbies. Microshift thumbies. Microshift. So the ergonomics was a little bit of a challenge.
28:36
I have to run my brakes a little bit further tilted down than I usually do, but- You're gonna like that in the long run too, though, I think.
28:43
Yeah, it's always been an issue of dinging the top tube, right, if you wipe out. [laughs] But, eh. Yeah. Uh, I, I've used a bunch of different hydros. Uh, I think the Shimano XTs are some of the nicest out there.
28:55
Uh, those new Guides are pretty nice, too, the Avid Guide. That's what I've heard.
28:59
But yeah, we've run Hazes and Maguras and Avids and all sorts of stuff, and, uh, I've been running the Maguras for quite a while, and I like them. They use mineral oil just like the Shimanos do.
29:09
Mineral oil doesn't have any, uh, moisture gathering ability. I don't know how they'd freeze. They're good to 40 below- Well-... by their spec.
29:17
We're gonna find out this winter, and, uh, you know, I'll keep track of how cold I get out there, but, uh- Aren't you going up to Alaska, Homer or somewhere up that way? Yeah, but I'm- Maybe-...
29:26
probably not gonna- Maybe-... ride that bike... you probably just fly up there and borrow somebody's bike with Avids on it. Yeah, probably. [laughs] Probably. Yeah, my bike is just a lower 48 bike, man.
29:36
[laughs] You know, uh, Alaska's cold. Where... I- it's hot down there in Australia. What's going on down that way? So they're, the Simpson Desert Bike Challenge. Bart Simpson? Not Bart Simpson.
29:46
I think it's the Simpson Desert. I think- Ah. It's Bruce. Everybody's name is Bruce down there. [laughs] Oi. Oi.
29:53
So I say it's the granddaddy of Aussie fat bike races, but it's really not a fat bike race, but they have something called bull dust down there that makes the wider tire just the thing to ride.
30:06
And I've been following it a little bit here. It's actually running right now, started Tuesday, ends Saturday. Um, the, uh... And we're gonna, we're gonna have an interview with the winner.
30:14
And Wayne Chapman- Wayne Chapman... the godfather of- Uh, what's, what- Fat bikes and- What, what accent am I using? [laughs] I... [laughs] Well- Line...
30:23
all those people are originally from England or Scotland or Ireland anyway. We are earthlings. [laughs] So there are daily results you can check. There's a link, it's, you know, desertchallenge.org.
30:34
It'll be in the show notes. Check it out and, uh- Check it out. Oh, that's, uh, never mind. [laughs] The desertchallenge.org. That link is in the show notes for that. I, I understand that we've got something special.
30:46
We have a live report from thefatbike.com helicopter. Let me patch us in. [laughs] We have Bruce. [helicopter blades spinning] Bruce, can you hear us? Oi. Oi. Bruce. Bruce, give us a word from the Fat Bike Challenge.
31:04
I'm high up. [laughs] I'm a little frightened. [helicopter blades spinning] They're all bikes. [laughs] And rolling around. Can you tell us if they're actually rolling forward? We're going the other direction.
31:18
They're coming right for us. We're going to chill out now. [helicopter blades spinning] Uh, so like- That's, uh, oh, we lost him. We lost the signal. Sounds like Bruce. Bruce. [laughs] Speaking of Bruce- [laughs]...
31:32
here's my shout-out to Bruce Matheson. What's up, bud? Hey, Bruce. You, you're welcome to come on the show anytime. In other fat links, we have an amigo, Ward. He's been on the show.
31:42
He, uh, and the fat, the Pacific Northwest Fat Tribe had a gathering out in Washington. You can read a report about that. Sue sells seashells by the seashore. He came by the seashore. It looks awesome, man.
31:56
And he has, he always seemed... Now, we're the Bruce Matheson of that gathering. [laughs] 'Cause he always invites me to go out there. And you never go. And I haven't gone yet. Never's a long time. I know, right?
32:11
So, uh, someday, man, I'm gonna go out there and then I'll have a report from that gathering. I got an invite from some guys in Billings to go out there next spring, and guess what?
32:22
I just happen to be going out there anyway, so it's like, "Yeah, I'll show up." [laughs] And then go from Billings to California, do the west coast with- I was going to go with, uh, Paul... Paul? Mr. Paul.
32:32
Yeah, we might have to go through Canada. I got three months. There you go. Probably. The Salsa blog is gonna have fresh bloggage every day in Rocktober.
32:43
Well, you know, I, you know, I don't know if they know how much work that is, 'cause we have fresh bloggage every day for every year. [laughs] Sometimes twice a day, sometimes three times a day. But that's us. Yeah.
32:53
You know, they're busy making bikes. They're more of a bike company than a smartass guy on the radio company. [laughs] Oh, et you bet.
32:59
So you can, uh, check out, you can click on the ad right on the front page, and that will whisk you right to their culture page, or you can click the note in the, in the show notes or- Yeah... you know, either way.
33:10
And, uh, just, uh, fresh from his DFL- Yeah. [laughs] At the Urban Jungle Cross in Milwaukee, JK, how was that event? Oh, that was rad. That was rad as hell. I just joined in on it to, uh...
33:24
'Cause I wanted to pl- every time I'd go by that area, down Walker's Point, I'd be on the river trail and look over and, like, the 10-year-old in me is just screaming, "I wanna go play in all of these, like, broken-down buildings and stuff."
33:36
Yeah. And it was an opportunity to do it, and it was a fresh-ass course. Yeah. They did a good job. There's a, there's a Flickr photo set that I shot. I didn't actually race.
33:44
JK, with his DFL, was the, the, the racer of the group there. But, uh, it was a really cool course, and some just interesting scenery. Um- Course designed by Eric O'Gallagher- Who-... the OG...
33:56
stepped on a nail the day before- Yeah... and could not be at the event. [burps] But, uh, Mr. Chris Zito was the, uh, MC and, uh, race director. #Zito. #Zito. Yeah, that's what it is.
34:07
And, uh, uh- Those are, those are healing burps for you, Eric. [laughs] And, uh, Zito is working on a couple more.
34:14
I know that he's working on one on the east side of Milwaukee, and we have one, uh, right down the road here on the artery trail we're working on for actual snow sometime in January, February timeframe.
34:26
So it's Fenn and #Zito working to make Milwaukee, uh- Your urban-... bike culture- Your Urban Jungle Cross fat bike friendly, cyclocross s- not specific races.
34:37
We're just trying to be, like- Get asses in saddles and just go... like a, a, a better Minneapolis. Oh. Oh. Look at that. Nailed it. [laughs] That's right. Email
[email protected]
. You know, it's funny talking to Zito.
34:52
He doesn't so much say much about Minnesota anymore like he used to. No? And he's even cut Australia out of his conversation. He's all about Milwaukee now, 'cause he knows. #Zito. #Zito.
35:03
Thanks again to Surly for sponsoring the radio portion of today's broadcast. Surly bikes are the perfect blend of the precious and who really gives a flying beep. [beep] That about wraps up the show for this week.
35:15
Keep the rubber side down and roll fatties when you roll. Hey, follow us on Instagram, #fatbike.com. Does Zito have a- Who knows?... Instagram yet? I don't know. #Zito. [laughs] Adios, amigos. Bye-bye.
35:31
Go ride your bike, or your mom. Bye, mom. Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo. Breaking news. Breaking news. This just in.
35:41
The Fat bike Birkie has announced that the 2015 edition will be the US National Championship.
35:50
This is an unsanctioned race, but with the 750 participants, it will be the largest fat bike race in the world, and a suitable venue for the National Fat Bike Championship.
36:03
Keep your ears and eyes peeled for more information as we get it. See you next week. [upbeat rock music] You've been listening to Fat Bike Radio's weekly dose of fat.
36:16
Find us on the web at fat-bike.com/radio. We'll see you next time.
36:25
[upbeat rock music]
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