The pit in my stomach after paying far too much for cones and bearings to rebuild some old Shimano hubs was quickly abated at the sight of a shiny Ti fat-bike rolling through the door.
The pilot of this lust-worthy machine is Troy, who had recently arrived from sunny Australia on a fat-bike pilgrimage to the frozen white north. Troy came to Alaska to give his new Muru frame a full shake down and hone his own winter fat-biking skills at the 5 day ITI "Training Camp", learning the requisite skills to survive on a multi-day winter bike-packing excursion.
This Bike was a beauty. The titanium frame from Muru Cycles was barely visible under a full kit from Revelate Designs, and had a top shelf build: Hope hubs, DuskerDu 120 tpi tires, XO drive train, Surly MWOD cranks. The frame-set had super-clean welds and I was told it had ben made in China along side other notable titanium bike manufacturers.
First of its kind, adventure ready titanium fork with six brazons to accommodate the Salsa 'everything cage':
170mm symmetrical rear with ample clearance for bigger tires...
It was refreshing to stand around and geek out on a bike like a bunch of kids; just getting excited about how FUN it is to ride a bike in the snow! A stark contrast to this week's resurgence in all the Lance Armstrong hoopla. Also great to see the developing ingenuity in the fat-bike niche and the growing world community of fat-bikers. Hearing Troy's tales of urban adventures in biking around Anchorage since his arrival, gave some some perspective to the logistical intensity of winter-biking that has become part of daily routine. I wish Troy all the best on his Alaskan adventure!
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