Thanks folks! The feedback is killer. Mike also sent me this picture of the new Yeti's pulley system (Jon from Moots, check this out):

The yoke looks interesting too. Not sure if it will be a mud trap or not. My Rock Lobsters are all super stiff without the yoke and no build up of mud:Thanks again for the comments on the last post!

So Miguel and I are having a debate over this topic. I am fairly strongly opinionated and as he is designing his new CX frame, this topic is rearing its head again. I figured I's reach out to y'alls: the officianados.

Q: How do you, crossers, prefer your cables for the front dérailleur to be routed?

A: Across the top of the top tube! (or so is my heavy opinion).

Where this gets into all kinds of hairy debate revolves around the need for a pulley as most (if not all) road dérailleurs are bottom-pull-actuated. So to circumvent this (unless you are using an MTB dérailleurs if it can provide enough clearance for your cross needs to the rear tire) frame designers have long worked up a system that routes the cable over the top tube, down the seat stay (a la MTB's) and around this pulley which is affixed to the seat tube sending the cable back up to the front dérailleur. Just like you see on this Sycip below:You can see this on the Ridley image I posted to the right as well. I think Sven's Colnago is the same but I have no solid pictures.

The problem is, you guessed it, mud.

The routing debate relates to lots of things but primarily is is rider feel believe it or not in addition to humping the geometry by needing to lengthen the wheelbase too much for that precious extra clearance if you need a pulley and need it to clear mud. I've ridden Felt's, Scott's and Kelly's with cable routing which sent the front dérailleur (and rear in some cases! (see Kona pic below) down the down tube and when grabbing the down tube (which is the style I use versus top tube unless its REALLY muddy) to shoulder/port, it always felt shitty. Often, you get your gloves caught between the cable and the frame and it just doesn't feel right.

When I switched a couple-a years ago to a single 42 or 44 up front, this all changed and I am cable-less on all my down tubes (so it moots the debate), but I have been considering going back to double rings because of the non technical/roadie courses out here. So I am stuck in this debate....and trying to help out my bro.

Thoughts on this? Any builders out there? Any photos of Sven's set up? Sacha goes down tube, Jeremy and Jay go top/pully.

Anywhoo, opinions would be great and help Mike out.

No place like it. It was great to be back to the Bay Area as a family but even better to be home. Great to see everything and everyone during our trip and especially cool to take my boys on the beach on a sort of overcast and very classic San Francisco day. They loved it. My lady was smiles.

Along the way, driving in our rental family truckster (and staying totally Zen in the atrociously bad Bay Area traffic), we reflected on how unbelievably different we are now since we left SF and arrived in Boulder. Blessed. The kids and the whole family are thriving here. Sitting in our kitchen in SF the day we made the decision to move to the mountains was huge. We've never looked back. If you are pondering these types of decisions, take the Nestea plunge. The universe will get your back if you haven't f'd with it to much.

Saw Evan today randomly on my way back to Oak-town for BART. GREAT to see you man. Congrats on the bambino man.

Anyhoo, back home and back at it tomorrow. Gotta burn the tired and travel out with a long ride. I need it.

"And I was running." Yup. Forest Gump. That's who I have been this week. Running when and where I can. No bikes while on the road but still working on za plan. Yesterday, 1 point 5 hours straight. Running 1.5 hours here in San Francisco. Crazy.

Crazy also that I am getting used to it. The body is acclimatizing to it. Maybe too much. Then yesterday it happened. I finished up said long run in the warm and rare summer San Francisco sun and was still about 15 minutes from my hotel. Slight pangs from my now well mixed lower intestine started to ping my brain "you better get home." Making my way back from the Embarcadero, Japanese tourists stopped me to ask where the BART station is. I just looked at them with the face of a serial killer. They said nothing and walked away from me. Slowly. I am now sweating. Like a flu but it's not a flu. It's fear and leaking poop. I'm sick but actually not sick. I think it's what they call incontinence or something. I am now 5 minutes out. Just a slow walk through the lobby, a ride up the elevator, a couple of legs of hall way, key access to door and I am golden.

I make it to the elevator. Door closing. An f-ing hand comes in to block the infrared beam and it re opens. All this is happening in slow motion. I smell myself. I can only think of Willem Defoe in that scene in Platoon when he is left behind by Charlie Sheen when the helicopter flies away and he gets whacked by the VC. I am done for. This family walks in and I am a sweaty mess. Head down looking at the floor. Legs crossed praying that any micro draft does not carry across the 6 x 6 foot elevator by the time we reach the 7th floor and they discover my identity of disgusting sickness. They hit no buttons. They get off on 7 with me. They lead out and I follow. Get the f out of my way. Just get away from me. Slow. So slow. Walk faster you idiots or I will crap on you. They walk to room 726. I am 728. Neighbors. Key cards out and open they enter my room and I into mine.

I just go into the bathroom and start to laugh/cry. Wimper sort of but with a humor. I am broken.

I love running. I love being athletic.

Does anyone have the secret on keeping chains in place on your 1 x 1's? I have a modified geared frame and am using the surly thing. It seems to keep the chain tight but i still lose the chain WAY to much on technical/bouncy single track. The chain falls off the rear cog as equally as it bounces off the front ring. For the rear, I saw Travis' one day and he had some make shift plastic discs thingies I think he hand made that basically trapped the chain on the cog. One went on either side of the cog. Does anyone know of an after market kit or should I just make it myself? For the front, I assume that the 3rd eye chain watcher or that thingy which looks sort of like a front dérailleur but is actually for keeping chains in place (name escapes me at the moment) will suffice.

So anyone have any leads/articles/advice? Comment back and share the goodness!

Kisses in advance.

Javolt. The crew in the Bay Area hooked UP the beers and laughs for our family's homecoming. We haven't been back as a family unit since we left in 04 and it was just awesome. Robbie and Joanie hooked up a mad 'que for us to say whatup to all our friends. Thanks R & J!! We rented this awesome little place in the hills around Fairfax (a.k.a. Boulder-West) It was great to see everyone. Miguel came all the way from the 408 to see us. He brought the 29'er frame in tow and it was capital S sick. It is in the process of getting painted (black with some new graphics). Gonna have to pool together some fundage to get this thing together. Looking forward to riding it and giving Mike some feedback.

Mike DID bring me a special surprise though. The single most awesome invention for all mankind:The WiseCracker. Buy one, here or through QBP.

Like butta. "Because Beer can't open itself."