Bicycles!

[choneofakind]

Nice. I want to MTB today, but it practically hurricaned Thursday evening is still wet. I guess I'll have to experiment more with some rides around campus.
So far so good.

73+, 85-, 1/4 turn from rabbit on rebound, 5 clicks of the floodgate for compression.

I can't believe how much better this is than the crappy suntour that came on this bike. No flexing, super smooth, supple, good response to small stuff. I can carry speed off random curbs and bumps and I'm running 1.5" slicks at 50 psi. I've already cut some bumpy corners and hit the little hiking trails on campus, and I can carry more speed on slicks than I ever thought possible. Feedback is great and the front is always planted.

Can't wait to get knobbies on and hit some real trail. Have I mentioned my front end is like 3 lbs lighter than before? The poplock is pretty useful too. I want to climb now. Maybe I'll drive home next weekend just so I can ride my local trails and see how it does.

@Jason, I owe you big time. Worth the wait dude.

[rojoracing53]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

Nice. I want to MTB today, but it practically hurricaned Thursday evening is still wet. I guess I'll have to experiment more with some rides around campus.
So far so good.

73+, 85-, 1/4 turn from rabbit on rebound, 5 clicks of the floodgate for compression.

I can't believe how much better this is than the crappy suntour that came on this bike. No flexing, super smooth, supple, good response to small stuff. I can carry speed off random curbs and bumps and I'm running 1.5" slicks at 50 psi. I've already cut some bumpy corners and hit the little hiking trails on campus, and I can carry more speed on slicks than I ever thought possible. Feedback is great and the front is always planted.

Can't wait to get knobbies on and hit some real trail. Have I mentioned my front end is like 3 lbs lighter than before? The poplock is pretty useful too. I want to climb now. Maybe I'll drive home next weekend just so I can ride my local trails and see how it does.

@Jason, I owe you big time. Worth the wait dude.

And what A wait it was the sad part is if I was trying to just help someone by giving them a part I probably would happen within the week. But for some reason I have this thing where I get really lazy when it come to taking peoples money not the best business sense I'm sure

Just got back from 150 miles on the road bike and I'm spent.

[choneofakind]

That wait was one for the books. lol. Whatver, you were busy, I was busy. No issues.

My ride wasn't nearly that long. sheesh. I only did 40 minutes of intervals on the trainer and ran 3.5 to get out and do something.





PS. Wheelies are notably easier now. That's how light this thing is. I took the opportunity to do a real fitting on my bike. Watched a bunch of videos. Adjusted my seat, my bars, both ends of suspension. I like it much better now.

[rojoracing53]

I don't always sell stuff to people, but when I do it takes so long the wait can be classified as epic.

[choneofakind]

Got some biking in yesterday. Drove to Mohican State Park and rode all 24.5 miles of the XC loop. The hills were great, the flow was awesome, the whole trail wasn't very technical. But after mile 17-ish I started getting tired, and right before the end of mile 24, my quads knotted up. I need to work on my MTB endurance. I always forget that MTB miles are harder than road miles.

Next time, I'll hit the last 1/2 mile at the beginning. It's downhill, it's pumptrack, it will loft you off the crests of the humps unless you reeeaaaally force the front down, and it's just fun

Anyhow, here's a picture. This is somewhere around mile 11, the trail is literally on the edge of the ravine for half the trail. It was so pretty I was having trouble focusing on the trail (which was covered in leaves).

[subxero]

looks like a perfect day to ride.

[choneofakind]

It was perfect long-sleeves-and-shorts-and-MTB-trails weather.

[rojoracing53]

I entered a 12hr Mtb race but only made it 9hrs before calling it a day with an odd knee pain. I actually finished the second half of my last lap with my left leg unclipped and dangling while cranking away with only my right leg. I still won the single speed class by 3 laps in the end. Up till my knee went south I was only trailing the pro class solo leader by only 30 mins and was just getting my second wind and planning a come back

I think if my knee is good I'll try some training and see if I can give the pros a run for their money on my single speed.

[JSilva970]

All these people posting about there mountain bikes... well this is my bicycle...

[choneofakind]

Quite a conversation piece you've got there Justin.



Jason, how do you do so much distance on the trail without cramping? I ran out of water 1.8L camelback and started cramping..

[JSilva970]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

Quite a conversation piece you've got there Justin.

haha yeah, the looks I get when i ride around town are pretty funny

[choneofakind]

No worries, I'd ride that. Heck, I'd try and take that off some curbs and do some wheelies. I'm cool that way.

[JSilva970]

It's pretty difficult to do a wheelie on it because it is an awkward front fork and the handlebars are pushed pretty far forward, also its a fixie!

[rojoracing53]

I prepared 13 water bottles with accelerade ahead of time and placed them all in an ice chest. So every lap I just grabbed a new bottle and 2 electrolyte pills and went on my merry way. My legs would try and cramp under extreme load after about 5hrs but not all the time and I can tell in advance when its going to happen so I can easy off of walk that current climb.

I think with the experience I got from my last 24hr a few weeks back and that 150 mile road ride last weekend I legs are getting a little better and preventing cramps. You have to push through your limits and experience your weakness in order to conquer them. I've had to experience leg cramps like you wouldn't believe and still continued to pedal for 6 hours walking the knifes edge between cramping and not. First hand experience is priceless, but always remember to learn from that experience.

[choneofakind]

yeah, once I started cramping, I walked hills and when I pedaled I could feel the knots starting again so I had to ease off. I spent like a mile in my bottom two gears on my cassette

Now I'm wondering the smartness of my 26/39 crank and 11x32 cassette combo that I just ordered... That's a lot higher gearing. Idk, I'll just have to work on starting out better hydrated and maybe finding a way to bring another water bottle with me. I've never had this issue this bad on road rides, and I can do 60+ miles with minimal water and minimal nutrition. This was different than I'm used to.

Idk. I ate a banana and chocolate milk asap when I got back to my dorm. Legs felt better this morning than yesterday afternoon.

[rojoracing53]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

yeah, once I started cramping, I walked hills and when I pedaled I could feel the knots starting again so I had to ease off. I spent like a mile in my bottom two gears on my cassette

Now I'm wondering the smartness of my 26/39 crank and 11x32 cassette combo that I just ordered... That's a lot higher gearing. Idk, I'll just have to work on starting out better hydrated and maybe finding a way to bring another water bottle with me. I've never had this issue this bad on road rides, and I can do 60+ miles with minimal water and minimal nutrition. This was different than I'm used to.

Idk. I ate a banana and chocolate milk asap when I got back to my dorm. Legs felt better this morning than yesterday afternoon.

Idk I think your 26-32 with 26" tires is a fair bit easier then my 34-20 with 29" tires so I'm going to go with man up or go ride your pussy road bike

Honestly I had the front pack riders jaws dropping when I yelled out on your left and proceeded to fly past 8 riders on this super steep kicker at the top of a long ass climb. I thought I was going to pay dearly for the half a dozen or so 10second sprinting efforts I would perform each lap but overall I seemed to recover just fine during the short descents.

I'll rest my legs for a week and if my knee feels good ill ramp up my efforts on the road bike then see how much I've gained from this last race on the Mtb. In the raffle after the race I won a free entry into January's event so I'm kinda on the hook to defend my victory.

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by rojoracing53

Idk I think your 26-32 with 26" tires is a fair bit easier then my 34-20 with 29" tires so I'm going to go with man up or go ride your pussy road bike

dude, I also don't belong in a padded room with a straight jacket when it comes to exercise.


I'm still getting into this.



have I mentioned enough times how awesome my fork is??

[BRad704]

Originally Posted by rojoracing53

You have to push through your limits and experience your weakness in order to conquer them. I've had to experience leg cramps like you wouldn't believe and still continued to pedal for 6 hours walking the knifes edge between cramping and not. First hand experience is priceless, but always remember to learn from that experience.

Sounds like my first ultra-marathon.

[rojoracing53]

Here's a bicycle race report.
So this past weekend I race the 12hrs of Temecula in SoCal. I just recently built this Niner Air 9 carbon as my first single speed bike a month ago but struggled with multiple drivetrain problems so I haven't been riding it much outside of the 24hr a few weeks ago and the 12hr this past weekend. Honestly I'm still waiting on one final part to finally solve my problems once and for all hopefully.

So this is my first Mtb race in SoCal and as expected its dry, dusty, sandy and rocky(in some parts). The event was huge with several hundred riders all starting at the same time and several hundred more waiting in the pits for their turn to hammer out a lap for their team. Just to keep things consistent I again rolled up to the start late as usual and had to work my way through the pack. The peloton was as far up the road as I could see so I knew I had my work cut out for me during the first 2.5 mile fire road before the first singletrack(first lap skipped some single track). By the time we hit the first single track I still couldn't see the leader but felt I was around the top 30 riders. I flew past around a dozen or so riders up what was know as the switchback and bridges climb while yelling out on you left every 5 seconds. From the fields view I must have looked like I was sprinted the last hundred yards to the finish line. I gave several spot up on the gradual fire road that followed while I caught my breath then bombed down the next single track descent only getting held up momentarily while I asked riders if I could squeeze by. With the first lap finished I checked my garmin and saw I was way ahead of my goal pace so I trying to back it off a bit but found it harder to hold back on the SS then I remember it being on the geared bikes in the past.

6hrs into the race I wanted to quite becuase I was just not feeling that great and was suffering for a low mental zone. I stopped to check the current results in hopes it might change my attitude plus I still hadn't seen a single single speed bike on course. To my surprise I had a 3 lap lead, that's 27 miles only after 6 hrs. So then I started looking at the other classes to see how I was doing overall compared to the solo field as a whole. The three pros only had a spread of about 15 mins from 1st to 3rd and I was only another 10 mins off third place sitting in 4th overall. This got spirits up because I knew if I could turn around my attitude and get back on pace I'd be there ready to pick up the piece when the pro class blew apart in the second half.

At the 8th hour 10th lap I got my second wind and knocked 5 mins off my lap time and was only feeling better as time pasted. I mounted up my lights and rolled out for 3 hours of night riding(my specialty) but only 3 miles into the lap my knee suddenly got a sharp pain while just easy spinning on a shallow fire road climb. I hopped off and walked a bit to see if walking or running also hurt but it didn't. So I hopped back on and only made it 10 pedal strokes before the pain came back. At this time I was at the steep switch back climb so I just hiked it then clipped in and had zero problems on the next descent. As soon as I started pedalling on the next fire road the pain came back. So I just said **** it and unclipped my left leg and let it dangle while cranking away with only my right. I actually caught and passed a few riders like this and they were quite amused by my current predicament. I finished my 11th lap 30 mins slower then my 10th. I checked the SS results and saw I had a 4 lap lead so I opted to call it quits and call it a day before I cause any more problems for my knee. Unfortunately I had also moved up to 3rd overall since it seemed one of the pros had quite just before the 6hr mark but that didn't matter anymore.

When end all was said and done I finished 1st in the SS class with a 3 lap lead and 7th overall solo even though I only rode 9 hrs of the 12. My new bike is just amazing and as I get more used to it I only get more comfortable and faster on it. I say when I was deciding about what hubs to used on my wheels I was worried about the high drag everyone seem to complain about with the high engagement hubs like the I9's and Chris Kings. In the end I went with I9 torch hubs and it's simply amazing how much faster my bike rolls compared to every other bike I rode next to. It's not just a small difference, its huge to the point that I'm constantly having to touch my brakes if there's to way to pass. It could just be my brand new bearings but I'm sure there were others with new stuff and nothing even came close to my coasting speed.

Im I going to take off the next few day off from cycling or running and slowly start road cycling to see if that knee pain is still there. Hopefully it was just something random and I can go back in January for the first 12hr of 2014 and finish the whole race this time.

We we need more SS racers for a more competitive field or else I may just enter the expert or pro divisions so it doesn't look like I'm sandbagging.

[choneofakind]

Yeah, you need a straight jacket for sure;you're nuts on a bike.

I've been increasingly lazy in my training the last few weeks. Been swimming but that's about it. Workload from classes is getting nuts. Last round of tests and projects before final exams. :/

But I did get some shiny new parts for my MTB





2x10 X5 shifters and derailleurs, 26/39 crank, 11x32 cassette, GXP BB. And some white vinyl's on my Reba, just for kicks. Looks pretty good with the random red outlines.

I think my rear shock is a 'lil leaky. I'll look at it more when I take the whole rear end apart for servicing the bearings.

[rojoracing53]

Looking good, you just need some fat knobbies on there and you be good to go.

[choneofakind]

Oh it had knobbies on last weekend. It gets the skinny slicks for around campus. I plow people over on the sidewalks


Not sure why only 2 pictures show up on that post. Coulda sworn I posted picks of the cranks and bb also. Oh well. I'm kinda proud of myself for doing the work on my own.

[choneofakind]

New debate for chone.


A) need to replace my rear wheel. I've got some flexing in the hub. I can adjust my brakes all I want, but once I put weight on the bike, the rear hub flexes and the disk rubs. I've serviced it an adjusted the slop in the cones/bearings, yet it still happens. Annoying. Also, my hubs are giving me a decent amount of resistance when I coast. Rojo is helping me out there, I think I've got some good options.

B) I did a bad thing. I played with a new Trance 27.5 in the parking lot of my LBS. I really really liked the lever feel of the hydraulic brakes. Once I get the wheels figured out, I'll look into replacing my brakes. Maybe. Possibly. Maintenance of hydro's is sill spooking me a bit. At the very least, I need to replace the pads on my current brakes before next season because they're glazed and worn at an angle and blah blah blah.


Any input on mechanical vs hydraulic/any suggestions for good quality, inexpensive wheelsets? I'm looking at new Mavic Crossride disk wheels on Rojo's suggestion. Lemme know y'all's thoughts.

Since I like ending on a happy note, my work so far is great. I love 2x10 gearing, the new X5 shifters and derailleurs are definitely smoother and more exact than my old shifters. New BB is stiffer and smoother. New HS1 disks are much quieter. Fork is dialed in and perfect. Roadie just got its 90-day service at the LBS and is also perfect. Loving my bicycles.

[Jono]

@choneofakind Well I have Shimano BR-M446 hydraulic disc brakes on my Scott Scale 960 and have no complaints and I have a little over 500 miles on the bike now. I believe these are the lowest hydro brakes that Shimano makes but for my riding they work great. No complaints. But keep in mind my last mountain bike had rim brakes.

Can't recommend any wheels because I haven't done any research for new wheels yet. I am waiting until I destroy one of my rims until I upgrade to a better wheel-set.

[choneofakind]

The bike I rode had Shimano something or another on it Absolute braking was the same as my mechanical setup, but the lever feel!

I'm not too upset about the wheels. I've bashed on them for 3 seasons now. Not surprising they're getting a little flexy. I'm ready for lighter wheels anyway. Replacing parts is cheaper than buying a new bike. Best situation would be a set of Hope Pro2 EVO hubs laced to Mavic XC717 rims, but I don't have that kind of pocket change.

[rojoracing53]

Just a little something from last nights ride

Link to original page on YouTube.

Link to original page on YouTube.

Link to original page on YouTube.

[choneofakind]

Think I'm ready to start my flat-tracking career?

[Apex]

I'm running Avid Elixir 5's on my FS setup. My hardtail is still on BB7's. hhaha

[choneofakind]

Lol, @TheBadInfluence is really pushing me on hydros. I'm about 95% sure I'm getting XT hydro brakes with a 160/140mm disk setup. My wallet hates him.

I replaced half the bearings on my mtb suspension, the other half are on the way. That's my attempt to fix my suspension flexing.

Since I ran into some money from christmas (and likely more for my birthday in a few days) I'm going all in. Buying some massively overbuilt wheels so I can fix my flexing now and convert/transfer them to whatever I'm riding next. ZTR Flow EX rims on Hope Pro II EVO hubs should do the trick. Going to use DT swiss RWS thru bolts on both ends.

Also bought a longer seatpost to make sure I don't mess up the frame, and a matching Giant race saddle that will look awesome with my black/blue/white paint. I'm swap to black grips as well, the lime green is too dorky for my GF and she keeps making fun of me. That was my early birthday present from her, black grips to save her embarassment.

Happy birthday and merry christmas to my MTB! This budget (not anymore ) 4-bar FS bike has been improved to what it should have been and is going to live forever!

[rojoracing53]

@CycleCam303 used to have a solid handle on his money till he met me. Now he owns two motorcycles, races, constantly longs for new two wheeled toys and is perpetually broke. Don't worry chone it's not just you, I tend to have this effect on people. My new found friend Nik is coming along nicely with new parts for his Mtb every week so I predict he'll be broke in the next few months as well

[CycleCam303]

Lol that's funny. You'll realize that nice toys are very worth having. You'll learn to convince yourself that you pumped your money into "investments" and you'll always be able to get most of it back

[choneofakind]

Oh, i'm aware I'll never get any of it back. Look at my pregen and now my MTB. They're lost causes. I just don't like always buying new. I'd rather get good on what I have and learn to tinker.

[Apex]

I've been trying to sell the hardtail, kind of. Okay, not trying, but one person is interested in it. He keeps low balling me, thinking, "Well, he is asking for $400, so I'll offer 300". He doesn't know bikes and doesn't realize that for the condition of my bike, $400 is a flippin' steal. So it remains in my garage. Probably going back into service soon.

[greenaero]

A question for the mountain bike gurus: I've started riding my old mtb ( GT Talera ) primarily on hilly fireroads near where I live. I find its a great workout and a lot of fun. I got invited to ride with another friend and after he saw my antique he suggested that I ride another of his mtb's. It was very nice: lighter and with disc brakes. Maybe it's time for me to upgrade. What would you recommend I look at ( probably used ) for a relatively inexpensive mtb that is a decent performer? Thank you , GA

[rojoracing53]

Well since your local to me what areas have you been riding and what are you looking to grow into. You've always seemed like the laid back slow and steady type of guy who's not into jumps and drops, so a XC bike would be my guess. Becuase your not exactly in your twenties like me I can also suggest leaning toward a full suspension bike but still aimed at XC. What kind of money would you consider to be your range because we all know what one person thinks is mid grade can be someone else dream bike.

I do plenty of group rides in the area but I'll admit there are ether to extreme in ether difficulty or distance for most so rider beware

Fell free to ask me an opinion of anything you want to look at locally but like chone has learned although I make good suggestions I'll also tempt you into spending more then you planned.

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by rojoracing53

although I make good suggestions I'll also tempt you into spending more then you planned.

Can confirm. Jason enjoys nice bicycles. He'll be good help since you guys are local.

[greenaero]

Jason and Chris, I appreciate your responses and suggestions. You are correct that I'm not eager to injure my 62 yro self by doing jumps or endoing into a tree at 40mph. I would like something that Is better ( lighter wt.) for climbing , with at least front suspension for better ride and handling and disc brakes.
I was thinking of budgeting artound $500 to get started which probably isn't enough to get my ideal mtb right off the bat. What are some good frames to start with and upgrde componets on?
Jason, I live near Brushy Peak in Livermore so I usually ride my bike there and do the loops there. I have occassionally ridden at Del Valle, Mission Peak trail and Sunol Ridge. I enjoyed your night riding videos!
Many thanks, Vic

[choneofakind]

Vic, try for a used hard tail. You should be able to find a decent XC hardtail ride with that budget. Those are typically light and climb well. They should also be a little less expensive than their full suspension brethren because there's no extra components to pay for in the back.

Models to look for used:
Trek Superfly
Trek X-Caliper 29
Giant XTC

Anything similar to those. Hard tail. Disk brakes. Suspension fork. They'll be relatively lightweight, they'll pedal well. Only downside is hardtails get a little rough because you are the suspension. But in the mean time, if you can keep borrowing your buddy's bike, do it! Borrowing=free MTB!! But don't get hooked on the nice parts.


@TnNinjaGirl welcome to the discussion! Your mistake was telling me about your biking stuff now you're roped into this thread.

[TnNinjaGirl]

My vote goes for a Schwinn Homegrown. The best hard tail i've ever ridden. Climbs like a billly goat but doesn't beat you to death on the bumpy sections. They can easily be had for $500.

[greenaero]

Chris and CB, Thanks for the suggestions! I'll start looking for those bikes and see whats available.
I acquired some free bicycles that I've been fixing up to sell so that I can upgrade my mtb and road bike. Among them was a Specialized Hardrock that I straightened the wheels , fixed a flat and adjusted the deralleurs. It felt lighter than my GT Talera so I weighted them and found that the Hardrock was about 5 lb. lighter than my Talera. I'll try it out on my usual climbs to see if I like it. Still no suspension and no disc brakes.