Intro
With all these fancy new bike parts flying through The Lost Co every day, it’s time we take a look at what’s caught our attention and made its way onto our personal rigs. It’s no secret that new bike parts are expensive, and you have to pick and choose what suits your needs, so let’s see exactly what choices the employees here have made to suit their needs. We’ve done our best to bring a variety of bikes to the table here, and while everyone here has a long travel enduro rig that’s ideal for the majority of the terrain Bellingham has to offer, that’s not the only genre of bike featured in this article. We’ve ordered the bikes by seniority, with folks with the most hours under their belt featured first.
Mindy
Mindy has served as our HR correspondent behind the scenes for as long as I’ve been around The Lost Co, but as of last year, she’s a co-owner of the business alongside her husband, Steve. She’s been much more hands-on with actively steering the direction of The Lost Co, and she just built up this sweet new Orbea Occam LT. Last month marked the beginning of our journey as an Orbea dealer, and Mindy was the first of the crew here to pick one up for herself.
With a background in road racing and a love for exploring the trails in Bellingham, Mindy needed a bike that’s efficient yet capable, and the Orbea Occam LT is the perfect tool for the job. This is a complete frame-up build, put together and partially curated by Steve to suit her needs. Highlights of the build include a 160mm Fox 36 with the GRIP X damper, a 210x55mm Fox Float X, and a SRAM X0 drivetrain. These are some of the best products you can get these days, and Mindy has been putting them to the test on Galbraith Mountain over the last month or so.
An interesting choice is the FSA Gradient carbon wheels. Those aren’t exactly something you see every day, but they’ve served Mindy very well so far, and really help to keep the Occam LT feeling light and efficient. Schwalbe’s Radial Alberts are serving as the grippers, with Trail casing front and rear to keep the weight down. While the Occam LT is a trail bike, this build uses SRAM’s most powerful Maven Silvers, and these have the updated golden cam in the lever. That updated leverage ratio makes the brake easier to engage in its travel without compromising on power. The 200 front and 180mm rear HS2 rotors are an ideal blend of light weight and impressive power, and do a great job of keeping Mindy’s speed in check anywhere she rolls.
Adam
While this isn’t your typical mountain bike, Adam’s 2023 GasGas EX250 gets more action than his Raaw Madonna these days. After hunting for the perfect dirtbike for months, he came across this gem on Marketplace earlier this year. Since then, it’s run perfectly with minimal headaches or time spent wrenching; something his previous moto couldn’t claim. As a used bike, it came equipped with some tasteful mods to protect it through the inevitable crashes the technical riding here guarantees. Full wrap-around bark busters from Cycra are protecting not only his hands, but all of his controls should things go sideways. While mountain bike hand guards have been gaining popularity in recent years, they don’t offer nearly the protection of a proper set of moto hand guards. Maybe we’ll learn from our older brother at some point.
As advertised, the EX250 has 250cc of displacement in its fuel injected two stroke motor. No 50:01 premix ratios here, as the fuel injection system automatically mixes oil and gas for you, and Adam says filling the tank with unmixed gas still feels wrong. He’s been playing with the gearing, and recently geared down from a 13t to a 12t in the front, as the trails here are generally a low-speed affair. In the rear, he has the stock 51t but is eyeing up a 50t to get the Goldilocks gearing he’s looking for.
Something that caught my eye was the second valve poking out of the rims. Adam’s running a tubeless tire system with a high-pressure inner tube in the bed of the rim, not too dissimilar from the old Schwalbe Pro Core system from a few years ago. With 100 psi holding the bead in place, you’re free to run incredibly low pressures in the main volume of the tire without risk of spinning the tire on the rim or damaging the rim. With Adam’s 4.5 psi in the main tire chamber, you could spin the wheel without moving the tire if you get yourself good and stuck, and the high-pressure inner tube helps the tire grip the rim and keep you moving.
There’s even more protection throughout this machine, including rotor guards, radiator guards, a carbon pipe guard, and a classic skid plate. With how heavy motos are to begin with, there’s much less emphasis placed on the weight of the bike, and adding a little extra weight for some security is a no brainer in this sport. Using carbon fiber as a pipe guard seems to be a strange application of the material, and while I’m certainly no expert on impact resilience, my understanding is that it’s not carbon fiber’s strongest suit. But it’s clearly done the job in this case, with plenty of battle scars to prove its mettle.
Unfortunately, Adam managed to sprain his foot while out riding a few weeks ago, so he swapped his pair of moto boots for a single supportive boot for the foreseeable future. At least that means the bike will stay clean for the time being, but I know he'd rather be out getting it dirty.
Chris
Chris is our customer service wizard, MTB upgrade therapist, and tracking information whisperer. Whenever you shoot us an email or give us a call, it’s more than likely that Chris is on the other end to help with anything you bring to the table. So with all that information packed in that brain, let’s see how Chris has decked out his Trek Slash. It’s also worth saying that Chris was particularly bummed that everyone could only feature one of their bikes, so let us know if you’d like to see a more complete fleet check for employees in the future.
This Trek Slash has gone through quite a few phases in life and has served Chris incredibly well for thousands of miles. Currently, it’s set up with a no-fuss build kit with lots of SRAM components, including the GX Transmission, ZEB/Vivid Air combo, and DB8 brakes. Chris has been the number one advocate of all DB brakes, and he’s put them on three of his bikes in the last year since they came out. He loves the price, the performance, and that he can use the same SRAM Mineral Oil bleed kit on all of his bikes. Inside the DB8s are metallic Code-sized pads, and those are squeezing 200 and 220mm HS2 rotors.
His ZEB started life as the original ZEB Ultimate A1, with the original Charger 2.1 damper and DebonAir air spring, but has undergone some internal upgrades to increase the performance. It now houses the Charger 3 damper and DebonAir+ air spring, and you wouldn’t know it from the outside, but both are equipped with ButterCups for increased performance. Chris says the DebonAir+ air spring rides noticeably higher in its travel, saving some of that cushion for the big “oh shit” moments that will eventually happen out there.
If you watched our Staff Picks series earlier this year, you’ll remember Chris’ love for the OneUp EDC tool, and he’s staying true to his word with the EDC tool always strapped to his frame. Being prepared for all situations is a point of pride for Chris, and the EDC tool paired with the Tubolito, C02, and plug kit stashed in his frame can get him out of the majority of sticky situations you could find yourself in out in the woods.
There is a smattering of Bontrager components across this Slash, which come from Chris’ work history with Trek, and he even managed the local Trek store before starting here at The Lost Co. While not something you see every day, the carbon fiber Bontrager Line Pro wheels have proven to be quite strong, and the one-piece carbon RSL bar/stem combo sure is a head turner. Chris says he’d be interested in replacing it with a typical two-piece bar and stem combo to play with the bar roll and overall cockpit geometry, as his current setup has always felt a little weird.
Atop his 210mm OneUp Dropper Post is the Chromag Trailmaster DT leather saddle, which has accrued a perfect patina over the years. Chris is a huge fan of the leather saddle and takes great care of it with annual oilings to keep it in tip-top shape. It’s as old as the bike, ticking along for the last few years as many of the surrounding parts have come and gone. I couldn’t help but notice the angle of his Trailmaster, with a rather skyward angle, while many other riders in the Bellingham area find a more groundward angle more appropriate for our steep climbs. Chris finds it comfortable, which is all that matters.
While this bike has tons of miles on it, the paint job is still quite impressive, and I wish we had a couple of rays of sunshine while I snapped its photos. There are layers to the texture, and they’re hard to appreciate on an overcast day, but these photos will have to do this time.
Colton
Colton recently came to us from the outskirts of the Sonoran Desert, trading in prickly pears for frilly ferns, and is very likely the first face you’ll see when you walk in the door! After working in the Transition Outpost for a relatively brief stint, he’s ended up with this Transition Spur, built to tackle everything Galbraith has to throw at him. His go-to lap includes Mohawk, a favorite of anyone looking to rack up some air time on their after-work jaunt. Originally built with XC intentions, his current build leans more into trail bike territory, something the Spur doesn’t shy away from.
This is the V1 Transition Spur, and Colton decided against going for the V2 Spur, even though he got a sneak peek at it and even got to ride it around before its release. He found the V1 Spur to match his preferences, and the sweet deal certainly made the choice easier. As it’s built now, there are a lot of SRAM components, with RockShox suspension, Code Ultimate brakes, and a mix of different T-Type components to keep things rolling.
Speaking of rolling, Colton’s Spur is rolling on some carbon Roval Control SL VI DT 350 wheels wrapped in Schwalbe’s Radial Alberts. Those wheels are perfectly matched to the Spur’s intentions of remaining incredibly capable while lightweight, but the Alberts are probably not what most riders would spec on a 120mm bike. They reveal Colton’s intentions with the Spur, as Galbraith provides some of the highest speed hard pack trails around, and rallying them requires some capable rubber, both front and rear. The knob coverage on the Alberts is perfect for hard pack trails where you don’t need to punch through the dirt to generate grip, and it’s no surprise they made it onto this Galby ripper.
Colton’s drivetrain is a unique mix of just about every level of T-Type components, from the boutique XX carbon cranks to the more value-oriented Eagle 90 shifter and derailleur. Originally, it was all wireless, but the cables have made their way in to control the derailleur.
Slowing this train down are the Code Ultimate brakes with metallic pads and 200mm rotors front and rear. Just a few years ago, this was the de facto setup for downhill bikes around the world, and here it is, right at home on a 120mm light trail bike. It’s interesting how our expectations of components shift over the years, with the release of more powerful brakes like the Maven changing how we perceive the once-most-powerful brake out there. Truthfully, the Spur is capable enough of a descender that it truly warrants a powerful set of brakes, and the Codes are relatively light for the performance they deliver.
A Chromag cockpit is the cherry on top of this build, with a 40mm rise silver aluminum Fubar connected to the Hifi 40mm stem. Using the 31.8mm clamp diameter and a very classy Chromag top cap, these freeride-inspired components definitely increase the cool factor of this Spur. The Pike uses 130mm of travel, bumping up from the stock 120mm and matching the Spur V2 spec. Colton originally had the 34 SL on this build in its XC-focused form, but picked up the Pike to beef up its descending confidence. The little Sidluxe packs a surprising punch into its little frame, keeping step with the Pike through every compression.
Will
Will is the most recent addition to The Lost Co team and has quickly proven to be an invaluable asset in the service area. When your bike comes in for anything besides suspension work, it’s very likely that Will has taken care of your bike and performed the service. He’s been a professional mechanic for years, and his Sentinel is quite dialed with a few fascinating little details that give it great character. The latest Transition Sentinel V3 has become a common sight around Bellingham, and for good reason. Its geometry and riding characteristics were decided through testing right here in Whatcom County, so it’s no surprise it’s a fine machine on everything Bellingham has to offer. Will also worked at the Transition Outpost and built this Sentinel during his time there.
Starting at its core, Will’s Sentinel is a size large and rolls on a mullet wheel setup. Transition recommends flipping the chip at the shock eyelet into the high mode when set up with a smaller rear wheel, but Will runs his in the low mode to get the geometry to match his preferences. Overall, he finds the stock geometry of the Sentinel to have too high a bottom bracket and too low a stack, and quite a few of his setup decisions lean into correcting that. His Fox 38 has 170mm of travel, and the Float X has the internal travel spacers removed for a full 65mm of stroke. That increased fork travel bumps his stack up a bit, and he’s also got a +1 angleset to steepen his head angle and give even more stack. Talk about custom!
Mavens aren’t the choice of many riders here at The Lost Co, but Will is a big fan of them. This Sentinel originally started life as the Eagle 90 complete build, which comes stock with Maven Bronze brakes, but Will has swapped most of those stock Mavens for a set of Maven Silvers. The rear caliper remains a Maven Bronze because the angle of the hose exiting the caliper plays nicely with the internal routing of the Sentinel. SRAM designed the Maven Silver and Ultimate calipers with quite the angle to the brake hose, and that causes the hose to either run directly into the chainstay or go into the spokes of the rear wheel, neither of which are optimal. With a 220mm rotor in the front, a 200mm rotor in the rear, and metallic pads, Will’s ready for the steepest trails around, something he actively seeks out.
There are a couple of very noteworthy quirks on Will’s Sentinel, with the bell on the handlebar and an interesting seat mounting solution immediately jumping out at me. Living in Colorado before moving to Bellingham, the bell is the perfect solution to respectfully letting other trail users know they’re not alone. A quick ding-a-ling is a perfect and hard to misunderstand method of making your presence known, and always appreciated by hikers, bikers, and equestrians alike. Between Will’s saddle and his dropper post is the Fair Bicycles Drop Best UC, which drastically affects the silhouette of his Sentinel. This effectively steepens the effective seat tube angle, which becomes quite slack when increasing fork travel, running a mullet wheel setup, and flipping the chip into the low mode. While it turns his saddle into a goose lookalike, it’s undeniably effective in keeping the climbing position comfortable with all the other mods going on.
While it’s impossible to capture this in photos, Will has an incredibly unique solution to organizing his frame storage within his Sentinel’s downtube. By using an extra-long bottle cage bolt extending into the downtube, he’s able to hold a tube and other things that are very rarely used out of the commonly accessed portion of the frame storage. They’re tucked up a bit higher in the downtube, which may not be ideal from a weight distribution standpoint, but this is a borderline genius solution to increasing functionality of the in-frame storage. I’m certainly taking notes.
Conclusion
We’re a lucky bunch to ride such a sweet fleet of bikes, and getting to nerd out on my coworker’s bikes and learn more about their choices has certainly inspired me to change some things on my personal bikes. Give us a call if you have any questions about what’s going on in any of these bike checks, and we’d love to get even deeper into the details!
