Frames and tires and noodle bar

Here are some links that you might like a look at. They are framesets and tires and a bar that I reckon would do well softroading around here.


Ritchey Mount Cross. This is the bike that I'm about to build up. It also has good clearance, but maybe not as good as the Salsa Fargo. BUT it's lovely. I'm not sure how many framesets TR brazed after 1999, but I dont think it's too many. Yes, I'm a bit ridiculous when it comes to bikes, but I appreciate having something that other people haven't seen before. Mine is blue and I will surely post the build session here :)

Kelly knobby x. I've recently had the chance to build (or help build) two of these up into bikes and they are very sweet... the TIG is really superb (gently filed?) and the fork is ultra slender, really nice and flexy. I think we will run 35 rear and 42 front on Kristen's (my wife's) bike. It needs a longer bb spindle than a roadie so we are putting on a nice square taper crankset with a 118mm unit.

Salsa Fargo. This really is a pretty wonderful bike. Pretty much everyone at Mals has one and in truth, I'd like one too if i didn't have bikes that individually do one of the many things that the Fargo can. Massive clearances for 2"+ 29er tires, a million and one bidon cage mounts, fully rack ready and a pretty cool rambo colour. Drop bar, flat bar, no bar... almost all of these options seem to work on it. The only issue that i sort of have with it is the fork... It's straight and pretty burly looking, and that points in the direction of stiffness, which I dislike, especially for long days.

Michelin Transworld Sprint tires. These look like they have a nice diamond pattern in centre which seems like it'd be good for hardpack. They are heavy, though, at 800+g for a 40mm. I want to try em out. I think they'll roll better on the bitumen between dirt than the more "pure" cross tires.

Maxxis Wormdrive tires. These aren't coming up on the Maxxis site but I have a pair of the 26" version and they are quick! They come in a 700x40 and they might be perfect. I will try em soon

Maxxis Locust tires. Narrower than the others but it looks like the sort of tread that does well on Canberra's dusty singletrack. We will try these as a start.

IRC Mythos cross tires. Mal had a 35/42 combo on his Jake the Snake the other day and they looked wicked. I can't find any decent links to them but am trying to hunt down a pair to try. Nice low frofile centre, though a little more going on than wormdrives, and nice side knobs. For singletrack these could be the go.

Nitto noodle bar. I've used these before and love em. I'll try to eventually get another set of these on. They have a nice amount of flex which I can imagine being wonderful on corrugation.