Project 29er: A Ride for the Bride

Don't shun the frumious Bandersnatch!

Back in the halcyon days of our early courtship, the Bride and I would, like many young couples, try to impress each other with various feats of wit, strength, charm, valor, and cooking. To demonstrate her strength the Bride took up mountain biking. To the FOMBA trails, the Fells, the White Mountains, and most remarkably of all, to Loon for lift-served riding we went. She liked being outside, liked the speed (to a point), but could never generate much enthusiasm for climbing.

Since the Bride doesn't generate a lot of power we are getting by with a 2x9 (24/32x11-26)

It couldn't last of course. After the first heady year of our relationship I kept riding, she did not. Hiking! That's it, we'd take up hiking together! Or running! Or cross country skiing! Or alpine skiing! Or tennis!

None of these really stuck either. Fast forward 15 years and I ride and race more than ever. It's a huge part of my life. I had long ago given up on any chance that the Bride would want to take up biking again.

Meow!

And then something happened. She wanted to go riding. We went a few times, very casually, with her riding my old Turner Burner. This bike isn't a good fit for her in many ways. It was very heavy, too tall, too long, and her 119 lbs. could barley budge the coil-sprung fork. Worst of all (to my mind) it is saddled with those tiny little toy 26" wheels.

One thing led to an another and suddenly the idea of a new bike for her came up. It was my idea of course, but it wasn't a very serious suggestion. But to my surprise she was enthusiastic. She went to a bike store and bought *TWO* new pairs of shorts and some socks, ON HER OWN! Sorry for the all-caps, but the Bride going to a bike store solo to buy something for herself is like the President personally putting air in the tires of his armored limo, "Agent Smith, the back left looks a little low. No, don't get up, I got it. Damn it, where is the extension cord for this compressor!"

Lot's of stand-over.

So which bike? A 29er without question. I had the Turner's nice kit to donate to the cause, so I only needed a frame, fork, and wheelset. But which frame? Full squishy? Nah, that would get a bit too pricey. So a hardtail, but what material? Aluminum? To harsh. Carbon? Too ridiculous for a newbie. Ti? Now we are talking, but still a bit too pricey. Steel? Let's see:

Affordable: Check
Comfortable: Check
Big Selection: Check
Old-school: Check
Superlight: Not so much

It's all about the custom touches at Temple Mountain Bikes (my fictions bike shop)

That's still a strong B average, so steel it was. But which frame? While I would have loved to buy a US-made boutique frame like a Siren Song 29, the frame-only prices for such rides blow my complete-bike budget out of the water like the Krakken attacking a rubber duck. That left the foreign made bikes; Surly Karate Monkey, Salsa El Mariachi, Voodoo Soukri, and the like.

The Highlights
Fork: 80mm Manitou Tower Expert
Wheels: Stan's Crests 29er
Drivetrain (other than cranks): XTR 9 speed
Cranks: Race Face ISIS Turbine
Tires: 2.25" Maxxis Ardents
Brakes: Avid Juicy 7
Grips: Ergon GP1-S
Saddle: Serfas ARC Ti

Yup, I reckon them's some big ole wheels.

I quickly settled on the Vassago Bandersnatch because their "Wet-Cat" geometry sounded perfect: slack head angle, longish stays, lot's of standover. In other words, stable like a supertanker.

A week and a half later there is a new member of the stable. Weather permitting the maiden voyage is tomorrow.

Not exactly a featherweight, but sane.
Not much to trim either, the bar, pedals, and
saddle are the only boat anchors.

Will the Bride being showing up soon at GTA rides soon, demanding a spot at the front? Will this bike be on eBay in two weeks? Somewhere in the middle? I hate to end on a cliche, but only time will tell.