Awesome Strap VS The Mud Man

So about that "mud test" on the Awesome Strap....

I had some folks comment here on the blog and email me regarding the use of the Awesome Strap in muddy conditions. While I've been using it since last July I've yet to encounter any truly nasty conditions, so I could not attest to exactly how things would go when the going got sluicy. I've had some similar experiences from back in the day when I used to utilize multiple toe straps to affix a tube to my seat rails, but I didn't want to assume anything and talk outta my ass (more than I usually do).

One comment I received summed up most of the questions I have been asked:

1) What keeps shit from falling out of the bottom of the 'awesome' strap? Having raced and ridden mtb since '94, I can't see how a strap - no matter how much grippy shit it's coated with - is going to hold onto your shit after a solid 4 hour hammering in the woods if nothing is underneath the shit. Ditto for road riding.

2) Have you tested this product with the 'serving suggestion' configuration of two air canisters, a tube, a multi-tool, and tire levers? Not to mention, unless you're riding a fender your shit will get all dirty. Ever try to install a mud coated tube with mud coated tools? I think you owe your readers a testimonial, especially for a product of such dubious utility.

The first question I've addressed multiple times. My shit has never come loose or even budged or slid down the post. With the new "Overlock" strap feature I doubt any mishap could ever dislodge your stuff from your bike unless it involved trained monkeys, a wizard, or spontaneous combustion (or a poorly installed Awseome Strap, and being that there is an instructional video there is no excuse for that).



On the second question I'll skip the part about how much stuff an Awesome strap can carry since I've already loaded down an Alpha Niner with a ton of shit, and it stayed put on a ride just as well as my usual "race load".


This post is about mud, so let's get dirty. Although the ride I went on last Sunday was muddy enough to do this to the Death Stick...

it was not enough mud for what I was trying to prove, so I packed in a bunch by hand to make my point.

I do not think this is an unreasonable amount of mud (ask anybody who did the 2009 Dirt, Sweat, and Gears).

Here I have undone the Overlock strap. Things are looking good around the mid section.

And with the whole kit and kaboodle removed from the bike the way you would do it if you were in the heat of the moment in a bike race (on a hard wood floor course).

FYI: I did do this test in my house, but The Pie is outta town so she doesn't need to know about this. Let's keep it between us, okay?

So here it is with the tire levers removed and the CO2 set aside. I twisted the threads of the cartridge in my fingers to clean them off, and the Genuine Innovations Air Chuck SL inflator threaded right on.

Now I figure this is the point where some folks are gonna bitch about all the mud on the tire levers, the CO2, and the tube. Whatever. If this stuff is that dirty I have a feeling your bike, wheel, and tires will be covered in mud too. If you can manage to keep everything sterile and wholesome while you pull the wheel off the bike and unseat a tire bead you are truly talented. I'd be willing to bet that some mud will get into your tire and everywhere else you don't think you want it. Let's move on...

Here is the tube unfurled fresh outta the strap:

Notice there is only mud in a few places. The other side of the tube is clean.

So I took a couple seconds and brushed the dirty sections with my hand...

and that's what I ended up with. There were some tools wrapped inside the tube. How did they fare?

Hardly any mud to be seen. That tool is about 17 years old, it is a chain tool/tire lever made by Giro, and it was part of a three part multi tool... the only part worth a damn.

Now saddle bag lovers can stick to claims of cleanliness when it comes to keeping the contents safe from the elements. I can't disagree there, but I have had plenty of saddle bags with stubborn zippers clogged with mud that were hard to open and harder to close. I've been through enough saddle bags in my time, and I won't go back to using them for anything. No matter how hard I cinch them down and secure them they always manage to wiggle just enough to have holes eventually worn in them, and they've also done a decent amount of cosmetic damage to my seatposts. I've already ranted about saddle bags, so let's just leave it at that.

The folks at Backcountry Research currently suggest putting your stuff somewhere else if you really wanna keep your gear clean... like here:

If folks wanna go mounting their gear in places other than their seatpost (like their top tube or stem) that's fine with me. I like mine just where it is. Like Johnny Castle says...

Nobody puts baby in a corner... or on a top tube.*

*Sorry, I'm too tired to do a decent photo chop on that one.