Packing for the Alpine Loop - Salsa Deadwood

[Co-opski]

^^^^Will do not a facebooker but I'll do my best.

How do you think the Deadwood would handle if you swapped out for a Jones Loop type bar? If a Deadwood could cuck wood?

 

[Christophe Noel]

^^^^Will do not a facebooker but I'll do my best.

How do you think the Deadwood would handle if you swapped out for a Jones Loop type bar? If a Deadwood could cuck wood?

I'm afraid I have to defer that answer to someone else. I'm a sucker for drop bars and think the DW and the Woodchipper 2 bars are an ideal match. I also loath the Jones Loop bar. This is one area where I can't contain my bias. Every time I try to ride anything like a loop bar, I feel compelled to deliver newspapers. But...at least I'm honest, right?

 

[JPsLC]

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The trip report will be live on the front page on Monday the 31st.

For those of you looking for more specific information on the Deadwood, I'll download some of that here.

At the root of it, the Deadwood is a freak of nature. It really is.

It really is like riding a Fargo with about 25% more compliance, if that makes any sense.

It's another Salsa you buy off the rack and ride into the dirt without so much as changing the seat.

What a fun bicycle. As Justin Julian said, it's like a Fargo with a lift kit and bigger tires.

Thanks for obliging! I enjoy your stories and what seem like consistently fair evaluations of the gear you test.

And now I have a reason to look forward to a Monday.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I truly try to evaluate any product as objectively as possible, and when my few funky personal biases enter the equation, I try to disclose those influencers as well.

 

[jayspies]

Thanks for the initial writeup. Looking forward to the full story. Good to hear that the 29+ wheels worked as well as they did. I have a Mukluk 2, and a set of these big hoops is my next upgrade. How was the damping on that carbon fork in the rough stuff with 29+'s compared to pizza cutter 29's with a sus fork? I would think that the load out helps smooth off the rough edges a bit, but I'd still be interested to hear your thoughts.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I'm of the opinion there is not a nanometer of compliance in the Salsa Firestarter carbon fork. But, I also don't think that is a bad thing. There is however, more than enough plushness in the wheel package and most importantly, the fork has the ability to control it. People want carbon forks to be compliant, and I agree that is nice. But to me it is more important that a fork be accurate and precise. It has to be able to isolate the forces on the front of the bike to give the rider confidence in hard turns, off camber sections of trail, etc.

In choppy terrain, the 29plus wheel on the carbon fork is still bumpy, but the tire volume radically softens the harshness of each individual impact. That not only makes for more control, but more comfort without the complexity of a suspension fork. You also get the added bonus of gobs of traction.

I currently have a SID Carbon WC Rock Shox fork on my Ti Fargo with stiff ENVE carbon wheels. With a 2.0 tire mounted to the wheels, the fork is the only thing keeping my teeth in my head when I hit the choppy terrain. It's still harsher than the 29plus impact, simply because of the low tire volume.

29plus. More comfy. For sure.

 

[jayspies]

Good to know. Looking forward to the 31st...

 

[1leglance]

Even though I am not currently biking I like this story from the gear perspective.
Not ultra-light as when I used to backpack, and not as heavy as my current 4wd setup.
Nice balance of comfort, quality and wieght.
thanks and looking forward to more.

 

[Christophe Noel]

Even though I am not currently biking I like this story from the gear perspective.
Not ultra-light as when I used to backpack, and not as heavy as my current 4wd setup.
Nice balance of comfort, quality and wieght.
thanks and looking forward to more.

This was a heavier load than I usually tote. My lightest for a three day ride with food minus water is typically around 12-16 pounds. Not counting the camer kit I tend to bring along.

 

[Christophe Noel]

Hot off the digital press:

http://expeditionportal.com/three-days-of-deadwood-bikepacking-the-alpine-loop/

 

[jayspies]

Great writeup! Do you suppose they used a 2x10 vs. a 1X system on the deadwood in anticipation of bloated loads like the one that you used? Seems an odd choice given that a good majority of manufacturers are opting for a single front ring nowadays (which in earlier articles you seem to actually prefer). Did the 2X system give you the range you needed for some of the higher passes, or do you think that a 1X would have been sufficient? Perhaps in retrospect it's to allow a little more speed on the flats with a big ring?

 

[Christophe Noel]

Great writeup! Do you suppose they used a 2x10 vs. a 1X system on the deadwood in anticipation of bloated loads like the one that you used? Seems an odd choice given that a good majority of manufacturers are opting for a single front ring nowadays (which in earlier articles you seem to actually prefer). Did the 2X system give you the range you needed for some of the higher passes, or do you think that a 1X would have been sufficient? Perhaps in retrospect it's to allow a little more speed on the flats with a big ring?

A 1x system is difficult on a drop bar bike with the shifters integrated into the brake levers (Sram Apex DoubleTap). If you ditch the front derailleur, you have the option of using a non-Doubletap brake lever, but then your levers don't have the same shape. Not good. The alternative is to use non-DoubleTap levers and move the shifter to the bar end, which I think sucks.

So, in one part it is a shifter conundrum. However, I like a 2x drivetrain in this case. Because the Deadwood can so adeptly charge DOWN a steep trail or road, it ideally needs to get UP it. I think two less teeth up front on the little ring could do the trick. As it is, I'm sure the gearing is fine for 90% of all applications.

 

[jayspies]

Awesome, thx. Didn't think about the drop bar thingy.

 

[Sisyphus]

Fantastic photos and write-up!

Quick question, how are you liking the fuji xt-1?

I have been looking to replace my canon sl1 and have heard good things about the xt-1 and the x100s and t.

is it small enough to fit in a bedrock wingate?

 

[Christophe Noel]

I love the X-ti, so much so, just this week I doubled my inventory of Fuji goodies.

On this Alpine Loop trip I used one X-t1 body, the 18-55 lens, and a Sirui carbon fiber tripod that weighs about a pound. It's a very light setup. I'm sorting out my kit for a trekking trip to Nepal and Everest base camp and will add my second body with bat grip, 50-140/2.8 for good compression, a 35mm/1.4 for low light interior shots of tea houses and the like, and maybe a fixed 60mm/2.8. Along with that...at least a dozen batts as these camera's drink the juice.

Regarding putting any camera in any bike mounted bag, I think that is a recipe for a fubared camera. The vibrations are simply too great. I destroyed a Canon G11 in two days of singletrack with my camera in a padded tank bag on my mountain bike. For that reason, all of my gear goes on my back. That has its own negatives, but it is the only way to ensure the safety of your camera.

I also just ordered a Sony RX100iv which I intend to use as my quick-grab camera because it is tiny. I'll keep that on my pack strap or hip pocket.