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these bikes are the sleeper in the crust line up — presumably because of the strange caliper brake spacing. the front pads sit midway on a long reach, and the rear is near normal medium reach. technically you could run a 38 rear and 42 front — although the 38 rear would not be mud friendly. as you can see right here I am running the braaaand new just put up for sale Ultradynamico Cava 700×38. We badged them 39, but they are really 38 on most rims.

I am running the Shimano BR-R600 Mid Reach 47-57mm  that you can only find used these days. they are from the 9 speed ultegra era and have the longest arms of any mid reacher out there. the front pads sit right at the end of the arms and give me 90 percent rim contact. I am okay with that since the long reach up front looks unkempt IMO. and these are fantastic brakes. they work very well and look like brakes.

those bars are old Santana by Nitto bars. I flared them in my bench vice and added an inch to both ends by whittling a dowel to fit with another 2 inches inside and wrapped around the whole unit. feels seamless and gives a nice added hand position for the long rides.

I have been using this bike for my longer 80-120 mile adventure road rides this summer and fall, and it’s been a real winner. I plan on switching back and forth between the 38s and 33 cavas as conditions demand. these 38s are a lot more durable and confidence inspiring on the rough stuff than our ultra light 700×33. the cava 38 is only 350 grams, but I have been pleasantly surprised with how much they can handle. I held out on 700×38 for a long times I was fonder of 650bx38. not saying I prefer one over the other, but I just so happen to have a bike that fits the size and I am loving it. so far the 7 sheets of paper clearance in the rear brake bridge hasn’t been an issue. as you can see in the above photo, plenty of room in the front.

here I am in those Shimano Spd sandals I am still kinda embarrassed about. wow they are lux though. all of my long rides this past summer were in those things and my feet have never been happier in the heat on a performance ride. thats where this bike excels, on long performances. being made of Columbus Spirit tubing, the bike is light and stiffer than it looks. the large tire volume clearance makes it a super comfy roady/light grav ride.

what a cool graphics package. thats really what gets me about this bike. talented pals Jonny Pucci and Larry Ravioli designed — I saw it and being the addict I am … I needed one. glad I did though, it’s been a worthy addition to the stable.

top line cranks 46 32 I think? I knowww they look sweet. and yes those are enve wheels. the sas something or another. they weigh like 1200 grams and I got em for $600! thats cheeper than the hubs alone. all the high end market went to disc, so these prices are on – the – floor folks. now is the time to buy used rim brake stuff … now is the time!

check out this little rack thing I made out of a nitto rack strut and P clip. there is a knurled washer on the other side and so far it has been able to handle the 3-5 lbs of things I hold in this front bag on summery long rides while keeping the bag at a tidy angle.

brooks professional that I have had on various bikes since acquiring it 20 years ago. extra thick leather that refuses to wear out. the brooks name plate on the back is grossly out of alignment — even a little much for me … some English saddle factory worker in the 60s had an off day. we’ve been places, that saddle and me, deformity be damned!

so that is my Crust Malocchio, I hope you have enjoyed as much as I have

XO Ronnie