Today, I’m wrapping up the final bike prep for my trip. Based on my experience with Breck Epic last year, I’m making a couple of changes. First off, the gearing…

Endless makes a ginormous variety of cogs- prettymuch any size and color you could possibly wish for. The cogs also happen to be super fat and light, too. They definitely live up to their name. As an extra bonus, Shanna, the seller of all things Endless, is a bundle of smiles and energy. I know her best only through the internet, but this photo sums up the general gist of her personality (found via Google Image search that took me to Jeff Zimmerman Photography). You can also take a look at the Endless Bike Company facebook page.

I’m going to try the 32×22 at Breck and see what happens. If I dislike it, I’ll just swap out to something else between stages (something we discussed on JRA Monday night and decided was “OK” via the “ethics” of singlespeeding). Click the JRA link and listen to something else while you wait for the most recent episode to arrive in the archives.

Moving along to other big mountain-related stuff, I also decided to beef up the brakes a little. Last year, I glazed over/wore down a couple of sets of pads. This year, I’m using Shimano XTR race brakes (as opposed to SRAM XX), and I’m opting for a 180mm front rotor and set of the finned trail-style brake pads (yet to be installed):

To wrap it up, I opted to replace my slightly worn “light” Maxxis Ardent with a new one in the EXO version. At ~740g, it’s a little on the heavy side compared to the non-EXO version (advertised at 690g, but mine was 651g), but I like the added sidewall protection for the rocky mine trail descents that are a staple of the Breck courses.

I’m using the Ikon 2.35 on the rear, also with EXO sidewall protection. The higher volume adds an extra layer of comfort on a hardtail, though, if I feel like I want more tread, I’ll swap to a Crossmark.
Side note- If you’ve been living under a “What wheels are those?” rock, they’re the Industry 9 Trail 24s, and they’re the best combination of stiffness, width, and bling that I’ve found in a wheel. The hub engagement is phenomenal, too. Don’t ride a set unless you’re prepared to be spoiled forever.

In case you failed to notice in the blurry pic of my rotor, Yes, the scooter is muddy. On my off days, I’ve been participating in a heated game of scooter photo-tag (you take a photo of your scooter at a place of interest, post it, and someone else finds the spot, posts a photo there, then goes someplace else and puts the next spot up for everyone to find). Since I’ll be out of town for a little over 2 weeks, I left the group with a doozie. In case you were ever wondering,  a 50cc scooter can off-road like a champ.