Author Archives: Topanga Creek Outpost Adventures
Surly Ogre with Rohloff
Wheel builds around the clock.
We have been hand lacing wheels non-stop lately. The custom wheel floodgates are wide open. Rohloffs, SON hubs, White Industry, DT Swiss, Stans, and all the kids.
Dave reviews the DVO DIAMOND 27.5 Fork 150mm-170mm
| DVO DIAMOND 27.5 Fork 150mm-170mm Review |
| So Just giving a quick review of the new fork I used on my new bike ( review of that soon). As a long time Rockshox fan it was hard for me to go to a different manufacture. My new frame required a short offset fork and a longer travel so I was unable to use my previous fork ( Pike RCT3) and started the hunt for a new one. I normally look for a fork that has minimal adjustments and is light. So I ended up doing a 180 and going with a heavier fork that has a ton of adjustments and normally requires you to drive a Ford raptor with a light bar to own. It may have been an impulse buy because all of the other manufacturers where out of forks in my price range that had the features and geometry I needed but what ever , this thing rips. It was definitely a pain in the butt compared to a Rockshox PIKE or a Fox fork with a GRIP or Fit damper but after 3 or 4 rides I have a good baseline setup that I am happy with. |
| This for has a two tier compression adjuster , The green one being the dynamic one ( think of a CTD dial on a fox fork). The orientation is backwards from most manufacturers so that took a little bit of getting used to but now it feels normal. The high speed compression adjustment is very subtle . I have mine set to clicks from open and I think its doing something. One thing to note is this fork has a very soft tune on the compression side. Even when the fork is on its firmest mode( 6), its pretty plush so if your a out of the saddle masher be ready to fall into the bike. This is not a bad thing though. The fork is designed to be ridden aggressively on varying terrain with a long travel bike. The fork is fully capable of sending it on the firm mode without having to worry about blowing up the damper so thats a plus. Also this fork has amazing small bump compliance . I have some injurys to my left arm and get worked on long stutter bump stuff and this was the first fork that I did not have to stop after a really rough section to flop my hands around to get the life back in them. |
| This fork has an adjustment called “OTT” on the spring side of the fork (similar to a rebound adjuster on the compression side). Its awesome. It is a fine adjustment to change the progressiveness of the fork with out having take apart the fork. Its similar to everything else out there ( bottomless tokens on Rockshox stuff,MRPs ramp control , Air volume reducers on fox forks, etc….) but seems to work better. I have yet to completely bottom my fork out and still maintain amazing small bump while running 28-30% sag. The dudes at DVO also are super helpful with setting up the fork. I know I had a few questions and the guys there went above and beyond to help me out. Long story short , Forks dope . Buy one . |
A couple Rohloff Builds in the works.
Bruce is ready for his bikepacking adventure
Writtten by Bruce —–
“Bikepacking is the combination of cycling and hiking. It is growing in popularity every year. This will be both Reinier’s and my 1st journey. We are riding a section of the Continental Divide Trail. We are cycling roughly 770 Miles from Jackson Wyoming to Parshall, Colorado. There will be 70k feet of climbing which is equivalent to ascending Everest more than 2 times in 2 weeks. We will carry all of our gear, tents, food etc. The snow pack is over 220% of the average so it will be interesting to see what the conditions are like. We are 2 days from flying to Jackson and it is still very cold and there is a lot of snow to contend with.
Whatever happens, it promises to be quite an adventure. Thanks to our families for putting up with this crazy idea and all the time dedicated to making it happen.
We will try to post daily and add photos when we can depending on connectivity.
@marriedtothemeal @eatblueribbon @bedrockbags @topangacreek @onion.sauce @powerhour360 #cycling #bikepacking #jacksontoparshall #grandtetonnationalpark #yellowstonenationalpark #pivotcycles #rockymountainnationalpark #stopsnowingalready
Rogue Journeymen Gear
Alex has been on his game lately with Rogue Journeymen projects. Right now he is working on some custom bags for Canyon Motorcycles. We do a lot of custom work for Triumph Motorcycles with a local mechanic.
So Much Happening…..
The Swift Campout is less than a month away. @swiftindustries is such a great business. The terrific crowd up north has inspired literally thousands of people to camp out on the longest day of the year for the past 4 years by simply creating an event. #swiftcampout It’s phenomenal. We love it. This year we are partnering with @latigocoffee for a Swift campout on June 22/23 in Topanga at Musch Camp. Road accessible so grab that @surlybikes Long Haul Trucker, load it with gear and join in the fun. PS. We have some gear made specifically for the day. Stop by and support the effort that these folks have put into this for so long and so many people.