After the burnin' my faithful Ellsworth was laid up with some wheels that were ready to self destruct at the sight of another rock garden. The old frame shows a few scars from the years, but it is still a quite efficient and supple frame among contemporaries. However, this was an opportunity to check the field out. So last weekend I borrowed Alex's Vassago Jabberwocky from the Hub: full rigid, steel 29'r, single speed and hydraulic discs. Dirt Church was held on the venerable Chub.
We started on the Lone Elk side and cruised down to the river. The rest of the congregation were on full suspension, geared rigs. Through the flats, I was able to keep up reasonable well. The rock gardens were a little difficult initially until I stopped trying to hide from the terrain and let the big wheels start rolling. All the little annoying stuff just dissappeared under the wheels. I definitely think the tubeless set up with ~28 lbs of air helped in this task.
On the climb to the picnic table, the geared fs rigs actually got in the way. I had to pass them up rolling up the hill. There were only a few isolated spots that I wished I had some extra gears. But when the trail got rough, the Jabberwocky showed me a few new things. The low speed control and balance of the frame let me plant the wheels and find traction where ever I wanted. Going down the Flint Quarry was not nearly as smooth as the Ellsworth, no surprise, but it was better than I expected. Again attribute this to the larger wheels and tubeless tires, but also the frame length may come into this as well. Side by side, the Jabberwocky dwarfed my Truth in terms of wheel base. Just like the big ol' Cadillac or Town Car, long wheelbases generally can help smooth out the trail. Of course going down the hill this was an advantage, but in the back of my mind was the switchbacks that we'd face on the way back.
The first couple were rough. It reminded me of the first time I rode on the Chub. The lines I would take on the Ellsworth were not working, though I wouldn't say my lines are that great before either. But after I had the hang of it, I felt really confident through them. Some I only needed a slightly lighter gear and I would've flawlessly cleared them.
Since that ride, I've been questioning what I'd want to ride for the next 12 hour. The Vassago Optimus Ti 29'r with a simple 80mm fork and maybe a 1x9 setup could be light and quick with just enough comfort to last all day. But I still need to check out that dw link full squishy...
Gateway 2011
14 years ago
