Josh's Big Dummy

Photo: Josh Maus

Why the Big Dummy:

Originally I considered adding an Xtracycle free radical to a mountain bike but never made it around to doing it. I have a few friends with Xtracycle setups on their bikes and I envied their ability to haul things around-- chairs and coolers to picnics, recyclables to the recycle center, ladders, etc. I have been living car-free for almost a year now and wanted a bike that could bring groceries home, or could be loaded up and go camping with, or be used to transport large items when needed. When I saw pictures of the Big Dummy I decided it was the best route to go.

Build spec:

• Salsa Pro Moto Bar
• Salsa stem
• Swobo grips/bar ends
• Avid BB7 disc brakes
• Chris King Nothreadset
• Shimano Deore XT drivetrain
• Salsa Delgado Race rims
• DT Swiss 14 gauge spokes
• Shimano XT hubs
• DMR Bikes Transition 26x2.2 tires
• Salsa seatpost
• Brooks B17 saddle

I have never had the experience of putting a bike together until the Dummy. I asked Paul McKenna (local bicycle shop owner) for his help with selecting components and assembling it once everything arrived. His help was greatly appreciated! I went with Salsa components because they are associated with QBP (just like Surly) and they make high quality stuff, Swobo just because, Shimano hubs/drivetrain because of the value and quality, Brooks saddle to see what the big deal was about their saddles, Chris King headset because it's a unique project, and DMR tires because they looked good for urban riding.

First impressions:

"Whoa this bike is long!" (but you get used to it after awhile) I really think it rides better when carrying a load, the inertia keeps it rolling with very little effort. Also, the frame feels solid and bullet proof with several years of hard use ahead of it.

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