Well, even though that seems to be the case, I did manage to "hen peck" my way through a drive train replacement and freshening on the Big Mama.
It really needed it too! Last time I rode it was out at The Camp in the fall with the big, meaty WTB Kodiaks on it and the drive train was skipping and barking back at me like crazy after a year of abuse. The cassette was shot along with the chain, and the lower jokey pulley in the X-9 derailluer froze up! It was a sorry mess.
I actually overhauled the cartridge bearing in the jockey wheel and got it re-greased. Spins like a champ now. New 9 speed chain, new "Tango" X-0 cassette, and back in bidness!
I never intended for the Big Mama to get all pimped out in white components, but there ya go. Things worked out that way. I bought the Manitou Minute thinking it was a 100mm fork, and it was for another project entirely. Well, when it came, it turned out to be a 120mm fork. Oh well! On the Big Mama it went! Then these Sun Ringle' Charger Pro wheels came in for testing on Twenty Nine Inches. Hmm.......well, on the Big Mama with ya! May as well go white with the wheels too!
I just slapped on some Bontrager FR3 tires on this, which are pretty aggressive but great rolling tires....so far.....and they are tubeless, of course. Now I am ready to tear it up on some trails, but first......
T.I.V6: Saturday will be a big day in T.I.V6 preparations. You'll get your regular dose of T.I.V6 Thoughts, and I'll be out driving a bunch of gravel with d.p. figuring out the last bits of the course. If it is actually there and useable. Once we have that part put to bed, d.p. will take over on the cues. We should have mileages dialed in a few days later, and I can announce the time cut offs and distances.
So, it's going to get crazy and this blog will be all Trans Iowa-all the time, seemingly for a while. Sorry! That's the way it goes in April here!
2 comments:
I really love that Big Mama that I picked up last time. I have to get going on it after T.I. there are some parts that I want to change on it but the bike does have a magical ride. I think it is easy to chop some weight off the stock build.
ari
That deal on the Big Mama is so tempting. But I don't think it will work with a Speedhub, and hearing about your drive train issues make me not want to go back...
Looking forward to the FR3 report.
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