Moots Psychlo-X RSL: Final Build Notes and First Impressions
A while back I introduced my new TBD x Moots Psychlo-X RSL finished in root beer brown (not to be mistaken for Clark’s golden Psychlo-X). Unfortunately schedule conflicts and a nagging hip injury have kept me from getting the bike to the races as I had to cancel a planned debut at Noho CX. That said my personal use case for this bike was always focused more on singletrack riding than CX racing and with some progress on PT I have started getting the bike out on the trails. There are a few equipment choices that I might switch around (more on that below) but my first impressions of the bike and the build are nothing but positive.
I think the underlying driver of that positive impression is the frame material - especially as a larger rider, titanium provides a confidence in frame strength and stability that I never fully had with the carbon bikes that I spent the past few years riding. But beyond that, the bike just absolutely rips on trails. And as a former Shimano-devotee the current generation SRAM AXS product, including this EagleTap Force build, has me increasingly convinced that SRAM is industry leading in many respects. But I’ll save complete thoughts on the major build components for another Journal entry. In the meantime here are a few notes on the finishing touches for the build including what is working well thus far and what might get swapped out.
Moots Psychlo-X RSL: The Final Build
TBD x Moots Psychlo-X RSL: the build as it currently sits, with a frame pump, saddle bag, and a few other finishing touches added since the first shoot with the bike. Hard to see in this shot, but there is a K-Edge Garmin XL Combo Mount added to the cockpit. K-Edge mounts are pricey, but in my use they have proven extremely durable, which helps justify the cost. ($65 at https://k-edge.com/)
Silca Impero Ultimate frame pump: as a longstanding fan of frame pumps for their practicality and efficiency, the Silca Impero Ultimate has been my tried and tested product of choice for years, both on-road and off-road. Durability has been excellent, though this one is brand new in order to fit the longer top tube of this Moots vs. my prior bikes. ($165 at https://silca.cc/)
Donnelly PDX Tires: while the new tubeless PDX’s are the CX tire of choice for a portion of TBD, I’m not yet sold on them as a trail tire. I’m used to riding 38 on trails and while the PDX’s rolled well and had excellent grip, I was also bottoming out more than I’d like through rocky sections. TBD on whether I switch to larger tires for singletrack but I am leaning that direction. ($80 at https://www.donnellycycling.com/)
Oru Saddle Bag: I have used Oru’s Airport Ninja bike bag for years, and I grabbed the Oru Saddle Bag a few months ago. It’s well made, which should translate into great durability (Oru offers a lifetime guarantee). My only warning would be that it’s decidedly not a large saddle bag, but I find it perfect for tools (multi-tool, dynaplug, emergency inflation, levers) with tubes going in a jersey pocket. ($29 at https://www.orucase.com/)
Blackburn Chicane Steel Bottle Cage: while I sprang for the fancy King Titanium bottle cages on my Vamoots, for my CX bike I went with the significantly less expensive Blackburn Chicane Steel Cages. After some initial use, I am a bit nervous with bottle retention. Grip doesn’t seem great, especially with smaller bottles, but thus far I haven’t ejected any. We’ll see how these perform over time but these could get swapped out. ($17 at https://www.blackburndesign.com/)
Shimano XTR Pedals: after a stint with Crank Brothers for the past year or two, I am officially back to using Shimano pedals for off-road riding. This probably comes mostly down to rider preference, but for my two cents I just love the durability of XTR’s. This pair is several years old but still ticking right along. I’m not sure how much I paid for them originally, but they’re readily available from a few dozen different websites.
Industry Nine I9.35 Wheels: after spending most of the road season on a pair of I9.65’s, it was a pretty easy choice to go with the I9.35’s for this build. I want to get more time on the wheels before offering a final opinion, but if these perform like the 65’s I will be a happy camper. Certainly they roll well on first impressions. ($2,350 at https://industrynine.com/).
Of course, I didn’t head to the woods simply to take glamour shots of my bike. I was there to meet Alvaro, Austin, and Jonathan for a couple hours of trail riding. Cunningham Park in Queens may not be much by non-NYC standards, but on a day with temperatures barely clearing freezing and a windchill in the 20’s, it was a little slice of heaven for these four New Yorkers. And it was great seeing a broad array of cyclists out on the trails - we may have been the only folks on CX bikes, but we saw everything from young kids riding with their parents, to BMXers getting big air, and perhaps most off the wall — a unicycle. All-in-all a pretty great way to escape the cold.