EVO - lution by means of natural selection ; or The Specialized AWOL EVO

We've been big fans of the Specialized AWOl bikes since they came out. Specialized is not always the originator of ideas, but they are good at taking ideas and refining them into bikes that express the "heart of the matter" within any particular discipline. The "EVO" series is that expression, and we're stoked to have some of the new AWOL Evo models in stock.

So what's the fuss? Well, the fuss is that this is a hell of a lot of bike for $2500, and resembles in many ways what we've been doing with recent custom touring builds.

Starting with a nice butted steel frame, the Evo piles on a Sram 2x10 drivetrain with a wide-range double for a low gear of 32x36 (front/rear). Should be enough to tackle most grades while loaded, and the X.9 rear der can handle a bigger cassette if need be. Braking is handled by powerful TRP Hy/RD hydraulic calipers.

But that's to be expected. The really cool stuff is in the accessories. A set of lightweight metal fenders keep the rain on the flat-resistant Armadillo tires and off the rider.

A Specialized "Pizza" porteur rack with pannier rails and Tubus rear rack both have mounts for the Supernova lights powered by a Shimano dynamo hub. The hub runs power through a bar-mounted switch that sends juice either to the lights of to the top-cap mounted "Plug III" USB-charger to keep your other stuff all charged up while on tour.

AWOL geometry is a bit more akin to a mountain bike than a traditional touring bike, with long top tubes and short stems favoring front loading and stability on gravel and dirt. Topping off the off-road friendly nature of the rig is a carbon CG-R seatpost, a pivot-less shock absorber that takes the edge off the bumpy bits.

Lastly, the paint is pretty cool. It's called "Rocket Red" and is pops up on a number of Specialized bikes. The deal is that it will darken randomly with UV exposure, so each bike gets a kind of individual patina over time. The logos on the downtube, head tube and the seatpost are also painted in a retro-reflective paint for nighttime visibility.

So yeah, we think it's worth a fuss.

The Oregon Outback - 2015

The Oregon Outback - not quite a bikepack trip, more than a gravel ride, and as much an Instagram meet as an "organized" ride. The route is 360+ miles of beautiful and often punishing riding from Klamath Falls to The Columbia River though the semi-wilds of East-central Oregon. It's a hard ride; though, and put me through the wringer last year. I had to abandon after 300 miles when my ankle, hands and ass told me I was done.

This year I set out with Danny and a couple other stalwart companions for a spirited take on a 3-day ride. It would require stamina, teamwork and fortitude. I possess none of these qualities; but was hoping the strength of the group would bestow them upon me. I've ridden with Howard, Danny and Brendan before but never as a group.

After a long afternoon's drive to Klamath Falls, and sorting out our whiskey situation, we dined at The Creamery brewpub, located next to the Maverick motel , our digs for the night. Friday dawned cool and drizzly, and we set off.

Danny and Brendan lead out on the OC&E trail through scenic K Falls.

Ruckus test team rider Johnny and his amigo ride though an old railroad cut during a break in the rain.

Riders below on the OE&E double switchback between K Falls and Sprague River. A minute after this photo was taken the approaching curtain of rain enveloped us for the next hour or so.

The OC&E rail trail has a great roadbed, so it never gets too soggy. However much of the route is now cow pasture, so the top layer of mud is rich in "organic material."

Brendan and Danny felt like taking it a bit easy about 70 miles in, so I hustled to meet up with Howard who was ahead somewhere. We met and rode to the Cowboy Dinner Tree, where we dined heartily with Scott from Seattle. After dinner we rolled another 25 miles or so in the dark until we were exhausted. We ducked under a barbed wire fence at the top of the hill between Fort Rock and Silver Lake and made camp. It rained steadily though the night and we broke camp under cold drizzle.

It was cold, we were trying to catch up to Jason and crew who were rumored to have camped in Fort Rock the prior night, and Howard's gesture encapsulates our pre-coffee feelings about the morning.

We made it to Fort Rock, where water was to be had. Coffee and breakfast were made while sheltering fromt the wind, and we began the day anew. The goal was 120-130 miles to Prineville and beyond.

After rolling up the mellow hill from Fort Rock we entered the Deschutes forest. The infamous "Red Sauce" cinder pit awaited us- or so we thought.

After descending Trout Creek and carefully negotiating the creek crossings, this crew caught up. Jason from Limberlost, Jason from Swift Industries, John and Alex from Seattle and a Matt, a random Aussie crusher in the states for a little vacation. Jason demonstrates the techy line around one of many mud bogs on this section of road.

This crazy dude rode from The Columbia River to Klamath Falls and then back again over the course of 7 days. Custom ti singlespeed, chillin' at 10mph but not stopping. The turtle always wins- he finished before I did even though I'd passed him on a dozen occasions over the course of Saturday and Sunday.

Dawn the next morning saw us break camp with 6 more miles to climb to the summit of the Ochocos. Temps were in the high 30's and my knees let me know it. The morning light in the mountains was enough to take my mind off the pain, and the McKay creek road climb is fairly gentle.

Around 45 miles into the forest, Howard's knee told him there was no way he was going to ride 120 miles that day. We parted ways and I soldiered on to Sand Spring, where I planned a lunch break. The Eugene crew from Rolf wheels and Co-Motion bicycles had the same idea. Also lots of handlebar rolls. I caught their train out of the forest and rode with them for the next day and a half. Good folks, good pace.

Pastoral scenes abounded on the whole route.

Brian- full of smiles and a solid rider. Cruising the first big descent of the day.

After a great ride along the Crooked River we rolled into Prineville. My original plan had been to grab a burger and beer at the brewpub and then roll slowly up into the Ochocos. Team Eugene had other plans, and we had a quick and "Tastee" dinner at this old-school diner in Prineville. We hit the grocery store for supplies and then beat the sunset up McKay Creek road into the mountains.

One of the banner descents on the Outback, and a strong rider to master it. Ethan Stehely(sp?) was the engine that pulled our train of riders most of the time.

After a brutal climb up to Divide Road, we were rewarded with great views as we rolled up and down the top of the ridge before descending to Antelope.

Ethan- the motor.

The (in)famous Shaniko Switchbacks await riders on their way to the ice cream store in Shaniko.

No place to go but forward, Hwy 97 between Grass Valley and Shaniko.

The hills of Wasco county are never not beset by headwinds. I recommend riding with a strong group. If you don't have a group, curl up in a ball and die.

The tears of riders who have gone before may have evaporated, but their track remain.

Riders on the Outback (and the Stampede too) receive the blessing of a 1-mile paved descent near Moro Oregon before heading back into the wind (and uphill).

Heather demonstrates the paradox of the Gordon Ridge climb. Beautiful scenery abounds, but between the headwinds and grade you're too cooked to notice.

Mt. Adams and that magic hour light descending from Gordon Ridge. Not pictured: nuclear gusting headwinds.

So to recap-

Day 1: Rain, Drizzle and a sprinkling. Rode with Danny and Brendan for 60 miles, then jumped up to catch Howard and Scott from Seattle. Made it 115 miles to the Dinner Tree by 6:20 and ate heartily, then warmed up by the fire. It was cold and drizzling again as we left. We rolled to the store in Silverlake and passed up the offer of a dry place to sleep in a barn in favor of another push in the dark to Fort Rock.

Day 2: Didn't make it to Fort Rock the night before, bush camped by some junipers on a sandy hilltop. Rolled to Ft. Rock state park and had breakfast with Howard and Scott. Headed out into the Deschutes forest for 20 miles of surprisingly fast red cinders. Howard dropped behind with knee problems but i caught up with the Eugene bunch from Rolf Prima and Co-Motion. Pacelines abounded in the afternoon and into Prineville and a tasty burger + Coke for dinner. After refueling we rode about 12 miles up into the Ochocos to camp. Had a little fire and drank some whiskey to chase the ibuprofen.

Day 3: Woke up at 5:15 to make a 6am rollout. The goal was to beat the headwinds of Wasco county, but I got a slow start as the cold temps didn't agree with my aching knees. The descent to Trout Creek was cold as well, and I didn't really warm up 'till around 10. Then it got hot as we hit the significant climb to Divide Road / Divide Ridge. Awesome views up there as the ridge rolls along then descends to Antelope, where I refilled a bottle in the park and headed out on the pavement for the looping climb to Shaniko. In Shaniko I ate a double-dip ice cream cone and then rolled out on a paved descent toward Grass Valley on Hwy 97. One bumpkin mooned me from his f350 - super deluxe crew cab diesel as he rolled by but not a minute later an old cowboy in his truck tipped his hat to me as we passed. The Eugene crew caught up and we tackled the remaining 40 or so miles together, which was good as it was nearing 4:30 and the headwinds were picking up. It was tough going, and we were all pretty spent by the time we summited Gordon Ridge. I blasted a descending roller a bit too fast and caught a flat on my tubeless tire (first of the trip) 10 miles from the end of the ride. Everyone was kind enough to wait, and we rode into the Deschutes River State Park around 8:20 pm after three 120 miles / 14 hour days in a row. Now that I know I can do the whole thing in 3 days, I think if (when) I next attempt it I'll roll with more stuff and take more time. There's a lot of beautiful country out there and it is a bit of a shame not to drink it all in slowly.

Vaya anywhere - a Custom Salsa for All-Road Adventures

We are pleased to announce our sponsorship of BikePortland.org's bikepacking and gravel ride coverage this year. In order to get out and document these rides, editor Jonathan Maus needed a more capable bike than his cyclocross rig and more nimble than his 29er. Enter the Salsa Vaya - our adventure riding bike of choice.

Equally capable on dirt roads and cross-country tours, we've been fans of the Vaya for a few years now. To outfit Mr. Maus in style, we customized a Vaya frame for long day rides and light touring. To begin, we set it up with a reliable Shimano 2x10 drivetrain with 105 shifters and derailleurs, paired with a White Industries VBC crankset. Capable of running a wide range of gears, this will allow for a smaller inner ring than the standard 34t on a compact in case a lower range is needed for heavier loads or steeper dirt terrain. 

Assisting in the conquest of hills is the wheel set. Stan's Grail tubeless rims, paired with DT Swiss Competition spokes in front and heavy duty Alpine III spokes in the rear, laced to a reliable and powerful Alfine 501 dynamo hub up front and XT rear hub. We shod the hoops with a set of WTB Nano 40c tubeless tires for grip and cushion on forest roads. 

Rounding out the package are a pair of Avid BB7 brakes, Salsa Cowbell bar and stem, Brooks Cambium saddle and a Chris King headset. 

Follow along here and on BikePortland.org as Jonathan explores the backroads of Oregon and Washington over the coming year.

Build highlights

• Salsa Vaya triple-butted frameset- 60cm
• Handbuilt wheelset- Stan's Grail tubeless rims, Shimano Alfine dynamo front and XT rear hubs, DT Alpine spokes in back and Competition spokes in front, black brass nipples. WTB Nano 40mm tires, set up tubeless.
• Shimano 105 Shifters and rear derailleur, CX-70 front derailleur
• White Industries VBC Crankset
• Gold Chris King headset matched to gold Salsa seat collar and skewers
• Jagwire sealed shift cable/housing and compression-less brake housing
• 3x King Cage stainless steel h20 cages, handmade in Colorado.
• Brooks Cambium Saddle