Monthly Archives: January 2015

Posted in Epic Rides • Gear

The Arrowhead 135 Gear List

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Gear used to meet minimum race requirements:

  • The North Face Inferno -20° F sleeping bag
  • Mountain Laurel  Designs eVent Soul Bivy
  • Thermarest NeoAir pad
  • MSR Micro Rocket Stove
  • MSR iso/propane fuel canister (8 oz)
  • Butane lighter
  • Toaks 550 ml titanium cook pot
  • Fenix BT20 headlight
  • Black Diamond Icon Polar headlamp
  • Portland Design Works Danger Zone Taillight (2)
  • Whistle
  • 1 small jar of peanut butter and 1 packet of hot cocoa mix (3,030 calories)
  • 70 oz. Camelbak Powderbak
  • Arctic Innovations Hydro Heater
  • Reflective vest

Headwear:

  • Outdoor Research Ninja Balaclava
  • Homemade fleece band to cover nose
  • Merino wool Buff
  • Smith Variant Brim Helmet

Handwear:

  • Arcteryx Phase liner glove
  • Latex vapor barrier glove
  • Black Diamond Windweight glove

Footwear:

  • Carhartt liner sock
  • Chemical toe warmer
  • Plastic bread bag vapor barrier
  • JD Icelandic -40 wool sock
  • Salomon Toundra boots
  • Outdoor Research Flex-tex gaiters

Upper Body:

  • Pearl Izumi Transfer Base Layer
  • Camelbak Powderbak
  • rbh Designs VaprThrm NTS Shirt
  • The North Face Denali fleece jacket
  • Montbell Snow Banshee softshell jacket

Lower Body:

  • Minus 33 merino wool boxer brief
  • Arcteryx Phase SV base layer
  • Pearl Izumi Attack Knickers
  • Minus 33 Katmai expedition weight merino wool bottoms
  • Craft AXC Touring Pants
Posted in Bikes

Surly Pugsley

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The Surly Pugsley in full winter touring mode.

  • Brooks B17 Standard saddle
  • 45NRTH Heiruspecs pedals
  • Revelate Designs frame bag
  • Revelate Designs Pika seat bag
  • Revelate Designs Jerry Can
  • Revelate Designs Gas Tank
  • Salsa Anything cages with Porcelain Rocket Anything bags
  • Old Man Mountain Front Rack
  • 45NRTH Cobrafist Pogies

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1X10 drivetrain

  • Sram X9 crankset
  • Chris King bottom bracket
  • Wolftooth Components direct mount 28t Snowflake chainring
  • Shimano XT 11-36 10 speed cassette
  • Wolftooth Components 42t cog
  • Absolute Black 11t cassette lock ring
  • Shimano XT M786 Shadow+ rear derailleur
  • KMC X10SL chain.

Changing the stock Pugsley 2×9 drivetrain to 1×10 offers a number of benefits including; improved shifting, a significant weight savings, no front derailleur to ice up or to drop a chain, and of course pure simplicity.  By using the single Wolftooth drop stop chainring and the rear Shimano clutch derailleur, dropped chains and chain slap are a thing of the past.  The Absolute Black cassette lock ring allows the removal of the 11 tooth cog when using the Wolftooth 42 tooth cog to achieve a tighter gear range.  Without this lock ring you must remove either the 15 or 17 tooth cog from an 11-36 cassette.  When I’m riding snow trails with a 28 tooth chainring, the 11 tooth cog never gets used and the loss of the 15 or 17 tooth cogs can be quite frustrating.  There always seems to be a comfortable gear with the 13-42 cassette.