Wheels: Enve 29er XC

This is a review/ramble of the wheelset I finally have rolling on the Mosaic. It's been quite a saga to get these rolling.

DT 240/Crest
Since the Mosaic uses disc brakes I'm essentially using a 29er mountain bike wheelset. Last Fall I picked up a set of Crest Rims laced to DT Swiss 240 hubs. I'm a big fan of the DT hubs, and this was a great deal, albeit a little overbuilt for my needs. They're laced with 32 single butted spokes. That is, at 1620 g they could be a bit lighter.

The Grail
Several weeks months ago I found won a killer deal on a set of wheels on a popular auction site (ahem). These were 2010 Enve 29er XC rims laced to Tune King and Kong hubs. Enve makes amazing stuff and rims are their signature product.

Some of you may know that there has been a bit of an evolution in these rims and the name of the company. Enve was once called Edge. Legal name disputes caused the change. These rims were originally designed and branded as Edge rims, and the original design was not UST tubeless ready, but you could still set them up tubeless. In fact I have a single Edge 29erXC rim laced to a 240 front hub, which I purchased from a guy selling his 69er. When the company changed names, the rim stayed the same.

The single Edge/DT 240 I have.

In 2011, Enve revised their design to be UST approved and eliminated the older design. The difference is primarily in the center channel groove and slightly more shallow depth of the bead hook. The wheels I purchased were the 2010 Enve rims (i.e. they were not the UST version). No matter, I could still use tubes and/or do a ghetto tubeless setup.

• 2009 - Edge
• 1 September 2010 - Enve (same non-UST design)
• 2011 - Enve (new UST design)

The first ride on this wheelset was the Swiss Recon ride with Adam. Everything went fine, but at the end of the ride the wheel felt slightly out of round. Because of the very deep channel in the design of these rims I had noticed that the slightly out of round condition on my Edge rim as well; however, I had never felt this while riding.

When I inspected this after the ride I noticed something rather shocking. The out of round feeling I noticed was caused by a cut in the sidewall, just above the bead hook, that was causing the outer casing to come off the tire! A blowout here would have been catastrophic rolling down one of our canyons at 40 mph. Closer inspection revealed that the bead hook was rather thin and sharp and actually caused the cut. This was exacerbated by the depth of the channel which mean that the bead hook contacted the the sidewall of the tire several millimeters above the actual bead (above where there is a slightly thicker more protective layer).

After contacting several shops and Enve, I learned that this was very rare, but had happened on a couple production runs from this era. My options were to send them in for inspection, or use some fine sandpaper to smooth the edge. I tried the sandpaper first, but quickly saw that I would not be able to fix the problem. The bead hook on this wheelset was 0.6-0.8mm thick compared to ~1.2-1.9mm thick on my Edge rim. Eighty dollars later and the wheels were on their way to Enve with an RA number. Three weeks later a box arrives from Enve with the same Tune hubs laced to brand new 2012 Enve XC 29er rims (the UST version).

Good things come in black boxes.

 

These folks at Enve were awesome! They didn't ask where I got the wheels or even if I was the original owner. The wheels only had one ride on them before I took possession, but they didn't know that. The wheels probably would have come back in a week, but for the fact that the original build used silver Sapim CX-Ray spokes, which Enve does not stock. Not only did they hand me a brand new set of their amazing wheels, but went out of their way to get these spokes. I can't imagine better customer service or how they could stand behind their products better. If/when I'm in the market for another wheelset of this caliber, I guarantee you I'll be reaching out to the Enve folks again for awesome hand built wheels (oh and the rims are made in USA).

Ok, but how do they roll?
Amazing! These hoops are damn light. Stripped (no rim tape or valve) the front came in at 625g and the rear at 725g. I don't know what else you could get for a 29er wheelset that's 1350g! After adding the Kenda Small Block 8 tires, 11-28 Ultegra cassette, a pair of KCNC rotors and Ti skewers the final weights were 380g less than the 240/Crest/Ritchey wheelset. The difference was easily noticeable. There were sections of local mellow singletrack that I was able to roll up much easier than I had ever in the past. I guarantee you that you'll notice the weight difference on the century + rides.

They're also stiff in the right ways. The Enve rims are laterally stiff so you don't really get any noodle wobbliness, but they also don't feel ridiculously stiff or harsh rolling down miles and miles of gravel and dirt. It's true that the noodle isn't something you feel too much on gravel - it's much more of an issue on my 29er - however, I've logged about 500 miles on these already and part of that has been on B roads or less (Switzerland Trail, Monument Gulch) where you would be able to at least notice this. I'm happy to report I never did.

It's not a rolling issue, but tire interaction is another consideration. Besides the weight of the Crest/240 wheels I'm scared to change a tire on them. It's just damn hard to get the tires on! It takes about 45 minutes of screaming and cursing, using a lever to pry them on, and half giving up twice before I succeed. I really don't want to go through that out on a long ride somewhere. I've had no issues at all with the Edge or Enve rims; the Kenda Small Block 8 tires and the Ritchey Speedmax both went on just fine. I did have one blow out (story for another day) that I was able to repair trailside in no time at all. What a relief. (FWIW - On the Pawnee Grasslands ride I had three flats and I was relieved that they were all in the front on the Edge rim.) Being UST the Edge rims are also relatively easy to set-up tubeless. You'll probably need an air compressor but with that it's a snap.

Tuning In
I don't personally know anyone else rolling Tune Hubs. The set I have is their King (front) and Kong (rear) in white. The white hubs look slick with the colors of the bike and the Enve logos on the rims. Tune uses a standard pawl system for it's engagement, so there's nothing fancy there. The engagement is not extremely fast like you would get with Chris King, Industry 9, but to be honest for these primarily road rides I don't miss it.

These hubs are fully in the weight weenie category, but should be more than adequate for my use on the gravel racer. Only time will tell how well they stand up to the muck and bumps. I do appreciate the ability to convert the front to a 15mm Thru-axle, which would allow me to use these on the 29er. On the other hand, Tune is a boutique brand and not something you can find at your local shop/ Unless that is, Fairwheel Bikes in AZ (the only US importer) is your local shop.

Conclusion
The wheels are amazing! They're super light. They are both compliant and stiff in the ways I want them to be and they are made by a company that really backs their products.

Testing: Secret Drink Mix and Allen's Rice Bars

The pre-ride of the AntiEpic route I did with Ben was a nutrition test as well. I had just discovered Skratch Labs’ Secret Drink Mix(SDM), and this was the first long ride I used it on. SDM has fewer calories and more electrolytes than many other drinks. It also uses only natural ingredients – the flavor (orange, raspberry, or lemons & limes) comes from crushed freeze dried fruit that each flavor is named for. You can really tell in the taste. I’ve never had anything that tastes more like a fresh raspberry than SDM. Besides great flavor and good ingredients the stuff just works.

On the Kiowa 808 I only managed 3 bottles in 80 miles. This time I finished 6 full bottles in 102. SDM is simply easier to drink. I didn’t have to force myself to drink because I had a hydration schedule, and wasn’t drinking simply because of the weather conditions. I really feel like the light flavor and lack of calories just worked for me. It’s hard to want to stop and relieve myself (albeit easier in lonesome gravel country) but I know that if I have to go every so often I’m probably appropriately hydrated and likely to both perform and recover faster.

SDM doesn't contain anti-caking ingredients so make sure you protect it from humidity. They sell a metal canister, but I have some glass canning jars that work well for me. Besides the 1 pound bag you can also get singles. Be warned though, the singles only make 500ml and most water bottles are closer to 750ml. If you choose to get the big bag it's easy enough to find tiny zip lock bags (spice section at Whole Foods) that you can load up with enough for a single bottle. The large bags use a scoop to measure the serving, but the scoop isn't in the bag, so if you get it at a store make sure you ask for the scoop on your first purchase (if you purchase direct they'll send ya one). I'm not sure why it's not in the bag, but really you only need one and getting a new scoop with every bag would just be a waste.

Tiny flecks of raspberry skins in the raspberry flavor. Mmmmmmm....

Rice, rice, baby..dum dum dum da da dum dum...

The other thing I tried was Allen’s Rice Bars. Allen Lim is the main man behind SDM and he coauthored a book with chef Bijou Thomas The Feed Zone which describes real food recipes for athletes – some of which can be used on the bike. Allen’s rice bars are one of the top recommended recipes and made of rice, bacon, eggs, Bragg’s aminos and brown sugar. The idea of real food was highly attractive, but I admit that I was pretty skeptical of having bacon and eggs with rice on a ride. It just didn’t sound like something my tummy would want. Well, I made the bars last week and tried them. Damn, those are good! I had a harder time saving some for the Sunday ride. But would they work on a long ride?

In short, yes. They were tasty enough that I looked forward to eating them, and when I did they did not feel like a rock in my gut. Other times when I had tried something more solid (Clif, Luna and Mojo bars), or even liquids with protein (i.e. Perpertum),  I always felt like my stomach had some work to do to digest things. I felt slow for a while. That didn’t happen with these. The bars are estimated to be 220 calories each but I never felt like I just ate a whole lump of food in my gut and the bacon also never felt greasy or heavy – something I worried about. The protein in these is perfect for distance events.

There are plenty of variations on the original recipe. In this video Allen shows a slightly different version:

The drawbacks? Well, mostly my fault and easy to correct. I crushed one bar in my pocket and it fell apart. (I had two stuffed in a pocket and two in a gas tank.) Some others were also fairly crumbly. Easy fix, make the rice so that it comes out a bit stickier, pack it together tighter, and place them somewhere they won’t get crushed. The other issue wasn’t with the bar but the foil I used. I used a fairly thin and weak foil which didn’t hold up well. Sometimes it tore in ways I didn’t intend or desire. This foil also seemed to “rub off” on the bars. I had a bit of aluminum oxide that looked like brake dust on one bar. Not wanting to supplement with aluminum I’ll probably be able to easily fix both issues by using a higher grade/quality of foil.  So, the only “issues” were largely my fault and easy to solve.

This wasn’t the only thing I ate on the ride. SDM has fewer calories so you eat more frequently than with other carb/electrolyte mixes. I was eating a gummie every 10-15 minutes (GU Chomps, Honey Stinger, Sharkies etc.) and the larger stuff on the hour. I alternated between a rice bar and Organic Honey Stinger Waffles. The waffles still work very well for me. They provide a sweet treat that I’ve digested well and had no problem with.

When we got back to the car I was fatigued, but I wasn’t exhausted.  I hadn’t changed anything other than the nutrition but I felt better after 102 miles (at a faster pace) than I did after 80 the week prior. This is only the second 100+ mile ride I've done. It’s been two full days, but I fell surprisingly well. Time will tell how SDM and real food work for me in the long run and under different conditions (e.g. Summer temps) but for now I’m sold. Time to try those bacon muffins and brown rice waffle sammies!

Toasty Toes: Shimano SH-MW81 - Review

Sometimes the gear you use can lead a ride to be a miserable sufferfest instead of a cherished memory. 

I love riding, but sometimes I get cold feet. Literally. On the Double Roubaix I wore a pair of Pearl Izumi Barrier GTX boots. They’re great shoes, but they don’t fit me. Like most cycling shoes they are too narrow for my Fred Flintstone feet so I ended up with numb toes 1/2 way through the ride. I got lucky with my first pair of Bontrager RXLs – they actually fit. I didn’t even try anything else on. There was a 50% off sale on all shoes and they were the only ones in my size (43). I wasn't looking for a carbon soled race shoe, but I ended up with one. Since then, I’ve tried Sidi, Specialized, Mavic and several others to no avail. They’re all too narrow. (I got a second pair on sale when I found they Bontrager was about to change their design.) Too narrow is an even bigger problem when it’s cold. The tight shoe restricts circulation resulting in cold feet. When there's an option to get the right gear, I'll find it rather than suck it up and suffer. I'll HTFU by training - not enduring numb toes.

In Boulder, where the population of dedicated cyclists is unusually high, it’s somewhat surprising that very few shops actually carry winter shoes. I had researched several brands and Lake and Northwave seemed like good options, but they were nowhere to be found locally. Online is an option, but a scary one given that shoes rarely fit me. Once I found that a local shop carried winter MTB shoes by both Sidi and Shimano, I headed over. It was Friday after all and I had a 4 hour ride planned for the next day where the high was only supposed to be 45. Fortunately for me, The Shimano MW81 fit perfectly in size 44 (one size up from my normal). It was one of those situations where the fit was absolutely perfect right away. I added my cleats and was set to go.

Shimano SH-MW81

The ride began at around 32 degrees, went to a high of near 50 and dropped back to 36. I was comfortable the entire time. There were a couple points in the cold part of the day where I could feel a bit of cold coming through the sole, but to be fair I was not wearing particularly heavy socks. They were a lightly padded set of Smartwool socks. I could easily fit warmer socks and would probably feel fine. When it warmed up to 50, I wasn’t sweating. The MW81 has a perforated synthetic leather upper.  In conjunction with the Gore-Tex liner, this allows the shoes to breath and have durability.

Our toes don’t move much in cycling shoes. No big deal when it’s warm, but that movement brings circulation and warmth. I have just enough room to wiggle my toes in these. It’s not sloppy mind you, but there is wiggle room (pun intended). 

The stiff soles have a minimalist tread pattern, but what exists is pretty grippy. Shimano uses a softer rubber on these so they won't slip around (unlike most other bike shoes). The softer rubber compound provides traction while the minimalist tread design allows easy mud and snow clearing. It seemed to work for me. I'm not sure why it's yellow, but there is also a mid-arch patch to protect the sole if you jump on the pedals and don't engage right away. The sole also felt plenty stiff. My RXLs have a full carbon sole with zero flex. Riding for over four hours I never once missed this firm platform. Bonus. 

Soft rubber + minimal tread = traction & mud shedding. 

The MW81, has a horrible name, but a smart design. The three wide straps don’t put too much pressure anywhere, something that could restrict circulation. These straps are likely to last a very long time, unlike other shoes using the BOA lace system which get several reports of breaking. The shoes have a semi-boot look. They look like a somewhat fat cycling shoe with a floppy neoprene ankle cover. In fact this is what they are, and it makes a lot of sense. The floppy ankle gasket provides some insulation and helps seal out snow, but it doesn't restrict movement. Cycling may not move many toes, but it does engage the ankle. I hadn't noticed this benefit until after I had already made my purchase and was many miles down the road. In fact, the best thing I say to compliment them is that while riding I forgot I was wearing a high topped shoe.

Solid piece of kit. We’ll see how they last over the long term, but from what I have experienced so far I expect good things.