Back to 27spd

Many 29er riders say that once you get a big wheel bike you won’t like your other bikes anymore. I’ve found that’s completely true but like it or not I’ll have to keep the Trance for a while so I’m trying to improve a few things that don’t concern wheel size. Summer is here, the trails are drying out and the Swift is making the Trance seem rather slow and heavy. Taking the Alfine off and going back to ordinary 27spd gears looses some weight and putting Michelin Dry2 tires back on makes it a bit faster.

I’m a firm believer in products being ready to use as soon as I take them out of the box and needing as little break-in time as possible. The new Hope Pro2 rear hub has about the same amount of drag from the bearings and freehub as towing a sled which is going to take quite a while to smooth out. Also the Sun Ringle Disc Jockeys have six more engagement points, two more pawls, half the noise, cost half the price and I’ve yet to hear about any issues with running Sram cassettes on them. I had to choose a Hope rear hub because I already had the front one but I think more riding is in order before I make my mind up about these…