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.
- 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 - Sticking to the Road
OK, so staying on the road is probably more accurate. I can say as I really stuck to anything. We received 5″ inches of snow in the valley and probably around 11″ in the mountains last night. The trail was impassible and needed to be left alone for the groomers to work their magic so I followed jeep tracks and snowmobile trails up the road - Rollin Fat and Cold
I have to leave the house every now and then or my brain will explode. The past couple of days of storms blanketed Providence Canyon in white. A few riders had made it up the first section. I was alone in the climb to the top and ended up on the road to finish. The descent was in fairly deep unpacked snow. There’s something about - Snow!
I will miss the pure thrill of mountain biking in the summer but there is something magical about getting out into a forest covered in a blanket of snow. The ride – Providence Canyon The bike – Salsa Beargrease - This is why we can’t have nice things
It was a beautiful winter Saturday to get out and ride The almost perfect trails. Without obligations pulling me back to my desk I had time to ride up to the top of the quarry in Providence Canyon. The last time I attempted this climb the road lacked the base needed to make the climb. The snow machines float above the snow and with being - Winter Dream
rm today having been lovingly groomed by local volunteers. The sun reflected beautifully off the snow. The trail past the upper parking lot towards the Mt Naomi Wilderness was also in fine form for a while. The nightmare doesn’t begin for a mile or so. At that point the grooming ends and the only trail left is from hikers that attempted to wade through the - Delightful Day
It’s really easy to make excuses for not leaving the house during the winter. It’s cold. The air is frequently bad. It takes less time to jump on the training and do the rounds in Zwift. However, there’s an enormous physical and mental benefit from leaving the house and getting out into nature. Sunny days with perfect trails fill my soul with delight. Today was - Almost a Dark Ride
Late on this Saturday afternoon I managed to get away for a little bit and was rewarded with a perfect trail and spectacular conditions. I’ve been slow getting out of the canyon in the past and I’ve had to pick my way out in the dark. For years I swore I would by a bike light and I finally got around to it. I was