im - 12/20/2006 02:48:00 PM

The front tire on the Big Dummy started going flat on the way into the office on Tuesday. It had a slow leak, so I was able to pump it up a couple times during the ride, instead of stopping to replace the tube en route. When I got to the office, I removed the wheel to replace the tube, and I figured I might as well install an Endomorph tire (a discontinued 30tpi Band-Aid brown-wall unit) on the wheel as long as the Pug fork was already installed. The larger tire will add a bit more cushion and, hopefully, a bit more life to the injured frame. One drawback of the non-offset 100mm O.L.D. Pug fork, when using a front disc brake, is the narrowed space between the disc caliper and opposite side fork leg compared to the standard Pug fork. One must remember to install the wheel (shod with an Endomorph) before inflating the tire, unless you're running really low pressure and can squeeze the tire enough to fit it through the relatively narrow gap. I didn't know what to expect, regarding the handling, from the 740mm (29”) O.D. tire in the Pug fork on the Dummy. The trail measurement is somewhere around 85mm. That's pretty high, but it's still very maneuverable at all speeds. I think the girth of the big meat adds a bit of stability to an otherwise-unstable geometry. I've ridden some sections of dirt road and suburban grass on the new set-up. All grins. I think I'll run this combo for a while. It's a good test for the new fork. Big Dummy will probably kill it before Pugsley does. The Endomorph is lighter than my somewhat-smoothed 26 x 3.0 Gazzaloddi, so the attainable speeds are the same despite its more aggressive tread pattern. The Endomorph definitely growls more than the butchered Gazzaloddi. Off-road, it's pretty stealth, but on the road, it lets you know it's comin' atcha. That might be a good thing. The Chatty Cathy walking groups, that frequent the bike paths and suburban side streets in our area, might actually move aside when I'm approaching. Many times, I have to slow way down and yell at them to move from their 3-abreast configuration, so I can pass safely. They couldn't hear my bell or brake levers clicking, as I approached, over their collective yammering. -----