One of my oldest bikes. I bough the Beargrease before either Ibis and rode it as a mountain bike. In the dirt its like riding on basketballs which is actually really fun. In the snow it’s the perfect companion.
The setup
I’ve been on a Beargrease since 2014. It’s a great bike. The colors have changed over the years but it’s mostly still the same bike. Salsa Beargrease X01 $6,799.00 from Aventuron
On my first winter ride years ago I wore only my winter gloves. When I finished it took and hour for my hands to warm back up and the pain from the frostbite was almost unbearable. I quickly purchased a pair of these 45NRTH Cobrafist Pogies and I’ve never regretted it. I can drop an electric hand warmer in each one and and stay warm and cozy the entire ride.
Years ago I added a Thomson dropper post to the Beargrease. It stopped working, they don’t make the version I need and servicing them costs as much as many new dropper posts. Instead, I switched to a KS Lev dropper. It’s a bit slow which means I probably need to adjust something but I’m hoping it will last me for many years to come. I needed a 27.2″ post and the KS Lev offered the most travel I could find in the Salsa Beargrease X01 $339.00 from Backcountry.com
Most recently I burned up my drive train. I’ve been riding with the Sram AXS XX1 on my Ripmo and it’s left me wanting to try out the Sram AXS GX. So far I can’t tell the difference between the AXS GX and the AXS XX1. I think the XX1 might be lighter but for the money the AXS GX setup is amazing. I’ve been riding it in the crazy cold without any issues. I’m becoming a huge Sram GX fan.
I would like to have gone with the XG-1275 GX Eagle 12-Speed rear Cassette but my rear hub would only take the NX Eagle 12-Speed Cassette. It’s heavier but performs just fine.
My Beargrease originally came with a 2×10 Sram X7 setup. I destroyed the chain rings along with the rear hub. I’m now riding a 1×12 setup. One huge benefit is that my setup is now the same across all my bikes. My dropped is next to my left thumb which makes my life so much easier. Before It was above the bar next to my right hand and at the beginning of the season when I transitioned to the fat bike I would constantly get confused and drop my post instead of shifting and vice versa.
I ended up swapping out to a new 30T front chain ring from Sram. I would have liked to go even smaller for the days when I have to plow through deep snow but this setup gives me approximately the same gearing I used to have.
My new light for when the ride goes longer than I anticipated. The Lezyne Super Drive 1600XXL Headlight. I’ve researched lights for years and never picked one so this time I just dropped into Als and grabbed the one that I thought looked like it would do the job. If you turn it on max it can double as a heater. It puts out some intense light.
- White is the new Green
The Forest service is adding fees to ride green. Public lands are become less public and now everyone wants a fee. The Forest service claims it is needed to maintain the area. That’s funny because volunteers have been maintaining it for years. I suspect they will collect their fees and we’ll not see them come around unless it is to check to make sure you’ve - A touch of snow
First snow bike ride of the season. I don’t like the cold but somehow being on a bike in the snow doesn’t feel cold. The conditions were perfect and the trail was well set in. I’m hoping to find myself here plenty of times while the ground is blanketed in white. The ride – Providence Canyon The bike – Beargrease - Snow Lunch
Providence Canyon was in perfect condition and the road to the Quarry was nicely groomed so I beat up my legs and climbed and climbed and sweated and sweated like it was the middle of summer. The ride – Providence Canyon The bike – Salsa Beargrease - Ideal conditions. I couldn’t stop.
The temperature was ideal. The snow was ideal. The ride was as ideal. The road up the canyon had been groomed for snowmobiling and was perfect for climbing all the way up to the waterfall. The ride – Providence Canyon The bike – Salsa Beargrease - Lunch Mountain Bike Ride
I don’t get out in the snow nearly enough. Providence Canyon was pretty perfect. The top had be chewed up by a snow machine but I think that was in preparation for some proper grooming. The ride – Providence Canyon The bike – Salsa Beargrease - Providence Canyon is Magic with Fresh Snow
I haven’t been out as much this year as I would like but I managed to sneak away into the canyon. Yes, it is freeze your limbs off cold but it’s also so extraordinarily beautiful that you forget the pain of the frost bite. The ride – Providence Canyon. The bike – Salsa Beargrease. - First snow bike of the year. Skiing is very distracting.
My boys love to ski. The snow isn’t building up so much this year. Those two added together mean my Beargrease has sat idle until today. Turns out the trail was in absolute perfect condition. The ride – Providence Canyon The bike – Salsa Beargrease - Wow, so wow
A perfect day on a perfectly groomed trail. The ride – Providence Canyon The bike – Salsa Beargrease - By the good graces of the groomers Providence is perfect
Having neglected the great outdoors right outside my door for the past month I could no longer continue in my wayward course and ignore the Beargrease. We spent and afternoon playing in perfectly groomed snow thanks to the volunteer groomers who leave waffles for us all to enjoy. The timing was perfect as a new storm dumped another foot of sugary, white powder on usContinue readingBy the good graces of the groomers Providence is perfect
- Derailleur battery dead. Going single speed.The trails don’t get any better than today. The grooming gods have been hard at work so the rest of us can play hard. The ride – Providence Canyon The bike – Salsa Beargrease
- Bobsled Run
Providence doesn’t get any better than this morning. The Beargrease loved the smooth, white highway on the climb and giggled on the bobsled run down. We were both very cold. The ride – Providence Canyon The bike – Salsa Beargrease - God bless the groomers every one
The trail was challenging but ridable all the way to the top. The ride – Providence Canyon The bike – Salsa Beargrease