Tyre Testing

I did some tyre testing this week - not very scientific, but still useful. (First I should say that my views written here are my views alone and not the view of Baum Cycles). I have been running a Maxxis Crossmark 26x2.1 eXception on the front and a Kenda Karma DTC 26x2.0 on the rear. I use the Stan's notubes system with a rim strip on Spinergy Xyclone wheels (and love it!). I run 24psi in the front and 28psi in the rear.

For my testing I ride a circuit at the You Yangs split into six sections:
Section 1: Slightly down and up hill, some straight and some corners
Section 2: Up hill through corners
Sectoin 3: Down hill with corners
Section 4: Long steep, up hill
Section 5: Steep down hill and technical
Section 6: Back to the start

The Crossmark (525g measured) has been a solid performer. In corners it likes to be tipped over a long way to catch the side knobs and it is predictable when is starts to slide.

The Karma is light (450g claimed) and it tends to let go pretty suddenly. It is fine on the back but I don't like it on the front.

Keep in mind that both these tyres are a bit worn out.

Today I put on a pair of Stan's The Crow 26x2.0. These weigh in at 430g each (claimed). They have very little tread. They have very tight beads and I needed tyre levers to get them on. This should help them stay on the rim well and not burp. I found The Crow tyres were more likely to slide in corners than the Crossmarks, but they are very predictable at the limit, so you can rip into it with some confidence. They feel a like a big balloon type tyre to ride on. Squishy, soft and with grippy rubber. I found the lighter Crows felt more responsive, faster up hill and better in some technical sections where I had to pick up the front wheel.


When I compared the times for each section of the track, I was a little faster on the up hill sections with The Crow (12 seconds faster over 10 minutes) and about the same time on the flat and down hill sections. I kept my exertion level as constant as possible by monitoring my heart rate and on reviewing my heart rate after the ride found that the average for each section was within 1 beat per minute for both tyre sets.

The next tyre to test is the Schwalbe Racing Ralph, so stay tuned

Off to Beechworth for Six Hours In The Saddle

Team Baum is off to race at Beechworth next weekend (the race is on Saturday 5th April). David, Neil and probably Jim and Ryan are doing the 6 hours solo. Should be fun. Darren might even tear himself away from the welder to come up for the weekend.

I heard a rumor that if, during the race, you sneak quietly through the bush alongside the single track you might spy the rare weldus magnificus riding a single speed. If you are looking for weldus magnificus, there are a few key things to look for to confirm his identity. You will notice he wears gloves, interestingly two different gloves. Usually a yellow glove on the left hand and a blue leather glove on the right hand. This unusual behaviour is thought by scientists to be related to the creature's attempts to attract the opposite sex and hence procreate.

You will also notice the welding mask that has now become permanently attached to the face of weldus magnificus. While useful for welding, the mask can be a liability when riding a mountain bike. It tends to fall lower and lower with each bump making it difficult for weldus magnificus to see where he is going. Further, it prevents the wearing of a helmet, which prevents entering mountain bike races, which makes it pointless looking for weldus magnificus on Saturday 5th........

A new mountain bike

I have been working at Baum for about 6 weeks now and I am loving it! Even the bad bits are good. But I don't have a Baum bike yet . . . what? . . . what is that I hear you say? . . . "Don't be RIDICULOUS, how can you work at Baum and not have at least 3 Baum bikes!!?!??!"

Alright, alright, so I need to buy myself a Baum bike. How about a mountain bike? Well, as it happens I have been thinking about the build of a new Baum mountain bike for me.

I want it to be a fast race bike. I would also like it to be super light, but still a practical mountain bike – no road cluster or double chain rings. It will show what we can build here at Baum – to get people excited about fast, light mountain bikes with a bit of bling - and because I like that kind of bike. There will be no "it gets me from A to B" type bike for me. Finally it will have to be big because I am 188cm tall - Darren has already suggested running the large diameter Ti tube set with the 44mm down tube.

I have yet to sit down with the boss and talk through frame geometry, components etc, but my currently thinking on components is as follows:


Frame: Baum Cubano 1350 (estimate)
Forks: DT Swiss XRC 100 RL 1380
Handle bars: Schmolke 80
Grips: Extralite Neogrips 16
Stem: Ritchey WCS 4 axis carbon 124
Headset: Tune Bobo 79
Seat post: AX Lightness Europa 118
Seat Post clamp: Extralite Ultraclamp 11
Saddle: Specialized Phenom SL? 195
Front Derailleur: SRAM X9 154
Rear Derailleur: SRAM X0 197
Cables: Nokon?? 95
Shifters: SRAM X.0 trigger 225
Brakes: Avid Juicy Ultimate 683
Wheels: Tune Princess and Prince 1216
Rim tape and valves: 15
Skewers: Tune Schnellspanner 51
Crankset: THM Clavicula 440
Chainrings: Extralite Octaramps 109 or Carbon Ti chainrings
Chain: SRAM PC-991 Hollowpin 271
Pedals: Eggbeater 4Ti 167
Cassette: XTR 224
Cassette lock ring: Tune alloy lock ring 4
Tyres: Stans The Crow 820 or Schwalbe Racing Ralph
Tube: Stans notubes sealant 120
Lube & grease : 20
Chain stay protector: Stick on 12
Bidon Cage: tune carbon 9
Bidon Cage bolts: Ti 4

TOTAL 8235g

Well, that is very light. Some of these weights are estimates and of course one never really knows what the weight will actually be until the bike is built.

Comments are welcome on this build list.

Give me a few months and you will see me out at the races on a new steed. I am sure you will see more posts about this bike also – I will do posts about the build process, the parts as they arrive and photos of the finished bike before I go and get it all dirty.

David Rusden