My first real test of the new machine (Salsa:Red Barn) is producing some promising results. I did the Sypes to Middle Cottonwood adventure. This machine is all about adventure.  It pushes easy, probably due to it’s larger wheels. And it is super safe feeling, again with the larger wheels.  I love the simplicity of this hard tail with no paint.  To clean simply just rinse and wipe.  And … no hard to reach places like on my Turner.

So now I know the bike is easy to hike up a hill and can handle the drudgery of transcending large avalanche debris paths. Oh, how did the bike handle.  Um, I think OK.  Mostly, however, I remember the beauty and oneness I had with the rugged terrain. Being alone and interfacing with the wild is so enveloping one hardly notices the material things we bring along.  So I cant remember much about the bike but if I did it wouldn’t be doing its job … right?