It seems to have died around here

[Apex]

Things seem to be rather slow in the off-topic forum lately. What gives? Everyone out enjoying the weather or something?

Just seems like the forum is a bit quiet as of late...

[TnNinjaGirl]

Speaking of, do you ride on-road only? Or offroad too? I'm looking into a GF or Trek for offroad.

[SSR]

Originally Posted by Apex

Things seem to be rather slow in the off-topic forum lately. What gives? Everyone out enjoying the weather or something?

Just seems like the forum is a bit quiet as of late...

There's a direct correlation between how much work I have piling up on my desk to how much time I can spend posting at work

[Apex]

Originally Posted by TnNinjaGirl

Speaking of, do you ride on-road only? Or offroad too? I'm looking into a GF or Trek for offroad.

I'm mainly a roadie, but I love riding my mountain bikes.

I own a GF actually. It is my trail baby. Still debating on keeping or selling my Hardrock Sport 29er...

["A"]

How is the 'mountain' biking scene in TX? not many 'mountains' to need full suspension, no?

[Apex]

Enough roots to jar your fillings loose in your mouth. There are a decent amount of trails around here, but they are constantly in use. The Memorial Park trails will make any full rigid rider convert to at least a hardtail.

[TnNinjaGirl]

My BF has a y-5 and wants to get me on a y-5 or a GF. Preferably CF frame if possible. Simply because we don't think I'll be hardcore enough where I'll break it. Also, it is light. Anyways it is hard to find a small frame to fit my size. Oh, and we are definitely going full suspension.

Are there any other brands you can think of I should look at?

[rockNroll]

CB, I know I'm kinda buttin' in, but if I may....

Check out your local bike shops and try some out. Give them a look over and some test rides. I have a Trek, a Kona, a Raleigh Mojave 8.0 and a Goose Meteore Comp. The biggest thing is that the bike fits you well. After that, its a good frame with the best components you can afford. Also, consider the service you're gonna get from the bike shop. Sometimes I chose a brand because of the people at the store where that brand is sold. Not just with bikes, but many things. Scope the people and the shop out well

That being said... check out the Yeti ASR-5 or ASR-5 Carbon. Yummy!

http://www.yeticycles.com/#/bikes/ASR5Carbon/1/

[Apex]

I'm anti carbon fiber myself. Reason being is when they fail, they FAIL. Many times you don't have to ride hard to make it fail. A friend of mine knew a guy who had a nice carbon fiber road bike. The guy always took care of the bike. Well somehow during a ride, a stick was deflected off another rider's tire and few in between his spokes. The wheel whipped it around and made it fly into his seat stay. It proceeded to shatter the entire back of his frame (I know, freak occurrence). An aluminum frame would just bend a few spokes and locked up the rear wheel in a nice and controllable skid.

Also just having rocks fly up off the front tire can damage the down tube to the point it cracks, I've seen this happen before.

So now you know why I got an aluminum framed mountain bike.


Another reason why I'm not big on the CF bikes: the components. Several of the lower end CF framed bikes have lame components. When I picked up my Hardrock Sport 29er, I knew I was riding low end, so the X4 setup wasn't bad at all. The Gary Fisher HiFi gave me Exlir hydro brakes, RockShox front fork (I wanted Fox, but oh well), X7 rear D (10-spd), and a Fox shock. It handles like a dream and I can keep up with my friend on his CF GF Superfly 100.

My recommendation is to get a good quality aluminum framed bike with excellent components already on it.

Then again, we have to factor in the eye candy. If you are drooling over the bike, and when you look at it you have this urge to go riding, then get that one. I get that with my HiFi. I look at it and I think "Man, I want to go riding BAD". That matters. So let the drool factor play a part too. Gotta like what you ride.

My HiFI

What do you want as far as a bike goes other than the full suspension? Does it matter if it is a 26" or a 29er? Does color matter? What is your cost ceiling? Gives me some stuff to work with here.

I was tempted to get the Trek Fuel EX8, but I love the 29er. Honestly, go ride a Fuel EX8 and then ride a HiFi (or equivalent in another brand) and tell me which one you like the most. I mean ride it. Take it over curbs several times, low and at some speed, flick it left and right, ride it. I love the 29er and I doubt I'll ever go back to a 26" wheelset. It is shocking how well it rolls over obstacles.

[jmgrande]

Enjoying the weather and stressing over finals. Just finished

[Yasko]

Mark, do you miss the lil Ninja a little bit???

[Apex]

A bit more than a little bit...

I like all my toys, wish I could have kept it. Especially with all the awesome weather we have been having down here. At least I know the lady who purchased it has had all kinds of good weather to ride it in.

[TnNinjaGirl]

We were looking at the CF for light weight, but I have heard MANY horror stories about the breakage.

I'm easy going when it comes to looks and colors. I want to start with a great frame and add components as needed. I don't have a particular price ceiling, for the entire project, but I can tell you I don't want to spend 5k on a brand new bike. In fact I would like to try to go the used route, in case it is something I don't fall in love with.

My local bike shops are not stocked with all the goodies. They have some pretty lame bikes. They also do not carry women's sizes.

My end goal is to use the bike for trail riding. Small jumps, downhill trails, etc... I don't plan on going extreme or downhill racing.

[Apex]

I honestly think that you best bet is to go with an XC (cross country) bike. It is a good all around bike that is well suited for trail riding and can handle some downhill as long as you don't go insane on it (lack of travel).

It is hard to know what size to put you on without you having a decent bike shop near you. A simple Trek 3500 would be a good and cheap starter bike to get you out on the trails until you start to realize what you want in the bike. However, you have noted you definitely want full suspension. Keeping that in mind, a good starter Trek could be the Fuel EX5 WSD.

I did a search near Knoxville and Cedar Bluff Cycles may have a few models to try out in stock (http://cedarbluffcycles.net/product-...-catalog-pg70/). Another shop, Harper's Bike Shop (http://www.harpersbikeshop.com/index.php?page=Mountain) is there, they have GT, Santa Cruz, and Yeti, all respectable brands. May have a small drive to find a shop that is decent, but it can make all the difference in the world.

Honestly the Fuel EX is a great bike. We have roots galore around here, so the 29er is an excellent choice for me. If there were less roots, I would have most likely went with the Fuel EX8 or 9.

XC or Singletrack will be a great choice for you I think. Specialized is a great pick too. I just hate their full suspension bikes. The front derailleur is actually mounted to the rear sway arm, so finding a worthy upgrade can be a challenge. That is what kept me from picking Specialized. The GF has the front derailleur mounted to the seat tube, which is how most are set up. I'm not knocking Specialized though, it is a great bike, just not much support when it comes to that single part. That is what killed it for me. Maybe in a year or two more manufactures will follow suit, until then, I'll stick with my GF.

["A"]

http://www.pinkbike.com/v/194156

[TnNinjaGirl]

Thanks for the info, guys. I guess it's like motorcycles. Find something, try it and see how it feels.

[Apex]

Pretty much. Just like with motorcycles, do your research, determine a riding style, then pick from all the bikes out there. I love how Trek's feel, hence why I own two.

Good luck on your purchase CB! Let us know what you decide and feel free to ask any questions regarding fit, etc!

[TnNinjaGirl]

So... I was talking on the phone with my Mom and she lets me know what she got for her upcoming birthday. A Trek 7100!!! Are you kidding me? Is she reading my mind!!!????

[TnNinjaGirl]

After looking and looking we finally found a bike for me! A Schwinn S30. Yay!!

[choneofakind]

since this turned into an mtb discussion, here's my bike and I LOVE it!

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/...fx/7326/44104/

It's my first full suspension and I read a bunch of reviews on it and I have to say, even though it's a pricepoint bike and it doesn't have all the fancy suspension parts from FOX, it does everything I ask it to.

also, has anyone here ridden at Vulture's Knob? I went back for my second time last week. more poison ivy and bug bites, but I still feel glorious

[Sailariel]

Mark,
I had a customer bring in a Santa Cruz for a tuneup. Nice bike. Quality is excellent--a bit pricey.

I am also not a fan of CF--seems to get brittle with age and is prone to UV degradation unless it is painted.

Two of my road bikes have CF Forks, and I check them quite often.

Lately, I have been riding my Univega Comp. Chrome Molly frame and fork which I equipped with 105 Components and Shimano wheels.

The steel bike works best for me since my injury last Nov. I'm in PT twice a week for my injured hip. Am up to 30mi rides before pain sets in. I did a 50mi ride with the help of Naproxen.

That 18 foot fall off the side of my house hitting pavement was a bit much for this 70 year old bod.

I expect that I should be back as good as new in a couple months.

I kind of miss the little green Ninja--but that NT is quite the bike. It handles surprisingly well and is a real Harley killer on the twisties.

[oroboros]

I feel lame when you guys talk about bikes...

I should set a goal to ride the length of the parkway before winter. It is only 18 miles one way but damn, you gotta ride up a mountain. When I pass those people peddling up the hill I always say "you guys are crazy!"

[TXJ]

My wife has a ladies mongoose from walmart. She rides about 7 miles a day for the last 3 years (to/from work) since her ninjette takes half a day to warm up, and she takes 2 hours to get geared up.

[Yasko]

Hay Mark, how much weight have you lost??? Are you ridding in this Texas heat???

["A"]

Pet project from cheap craigslist find:

[TnNinjaGirl]

Anyone here have, or know anyone who has a Rock Shox Judy DH? We are in need of one. We need the casing in particular. Though any Rock Shox casing may fit??

["A"]

Originally Posted by TnNinjaGirl

Anyone here have, or know anyone who has a Rock Shox Judy DH? We are in need of one. We need the casing in particular. Though any Rock Shox casing may fit??

If you're referring the 'casting part' the lower fork legs. AFAIK, Judys share the same lowers as early SIDs... likely the later DARTs have the same forklegs diameter to worth a try.

[Apex]

Originally Posted by Yasko

Hay Mark, how much weight have you lost??? Are you ridding in this Texas heat???

Not enough (about 5-10lbs)! Then again, I'm not in a huge rush. I am just shy of 6ft and weigh in at 173 at last doc visit (peaked at 185 over winter). I need to get out more. It isn't the heat that bothers me, it is the endless wind we have been having around here lately!

Speaking of wind, had a nice wild fire spark up on the property next to my neighborhood. Lucky for us, the fire dept got it out in a few hours. *wipes sweat off head* That could have really sucked.

[Apex]

Originally Posted by oroboros

I feel lame when you guys talk about bikes...

I should set a goal to ride the length of the parkway before winter. It is only 18 miles one way but damn, you gotta ride up a mountain. When I pass those people peddling up the hill I always say "you guys are crazy!"

Hills are not bad if you pace yourself. Gearing is your friend.

Last mountain bike ride I did was 2 hours and pedaled 14 miles. I would have gone much further but I was low on water (and I got tired of re-tracing my steps on the same trail). Last road training ride I did was about 45 miles on road. The wind made me feel like I pushed myself 70 miles.

[Apex]

Originally Posted by TnNinjaGirl

After looking and looking we finally found a bike for me! A Schwinn S30. Yay!!

Grats!

[csmith12]

Not the best, but it gets me off the road.

ps.. Does this make me a trator?

And for the best part, how I got it.

Wife just had the youngest of our children. So I go home, shower, shave all that jazz... Get the car seat and all the items on the wife's list. I pull in the hospital parking garage and run in to pick up the wife. She had called while I was in route saying that she was released and ready to go.

I run up to her room and she was not ready. We had to sign a few more papers and after a longer than normal security check, we were finally ready to go. She tells me to go pull the car around while she gets dresses and the nurse gets a wheelchair. I go to the car..... BOOM dead battery.... I left the lights on

What do I do? There is a K-mart just down the road. I can buy a portalble jump start right!?!?!?! Sure.... So I start hoofing it to the k-mart, which I thought was close. Ended up being 1.2 miles away. So I get my portable jump start and start walking back. So I pass a bike shop. It was 99 degrees out. So what do I do. I buy the pictured bike. (it was even on sale for $200) hahahahhaha

I start back toward the hospital on the bike. It was so hot and I was so out of shape at the time. I end up pushing the bike while carring the portalble jump start. I drive a jeep so I throw the bike on the top of the jeep and strap it down with bungee cords (was lucky I had them), and finally pull up to the emergency doors, new bike on top of my jeep, to find my wife and an angry nurse waiting for me.

It was not one of my best days. But does show that a new dad will do just about anything....

Feel free to enjoy a good laugh on my account. I deserve it.

[TnNinjaGirl]

An actual pic of my bike. Not bad for 200 bones. Deore LX components. Titec stem and bars (ick bars). Mavic rims. Ritchey pedals. The Sweet SPot technology thing is pretty cool. We've got a couple of shocks on the way that we are going to rebuild and customize (instead of spending $600 on a new shock) to get our bikes ready for the trails. I've also got to get in better shape and lose some weight.

I like how she sits now expect the grip shifts suck (X-Ray) and the tire/wheel combo weighs a billion pounds. The hubs (Deore LX) aren't ridiculous and I don't think I'll need to upgrade them as I am not a hefty sized grown man.

[Apex]

That is a rather interesting design they used on there. Looks freaky to me. I like the balance the seat tube gives a bike. Without one it just looks off. In the end, the only thing that matters is if it works.

Just watch for that play in the drivetrain. I'm sure there will be some flex going on, takes a bit to get used to.

I love the SRAM shifters. My HiFi has an X7 rear derailleur and an SLX up front. I first used the X-series shifters on my Specialized (X4's), and I loved them. Much nicer and easier to use (IMHO) than the Shimano equivalents. I highly recommend them.

I severely dislike grip shifters. Those are horrible, especially on technical terrain. Triggers are the only way to go. I ride more XC than anything, but there are some technical descents and climbs that I do on occasion. A grip would never work for me.

["A"]

Basically the same suspension concept as the Ibis Bow Ti (& Szazbo),

one time (, probably still) the lightest and most labor intensive and intricate fabrication of titanium bicycle frame,

and only titanium can allow 5 inch of pivot-less suspension travel.

[TnNinjaGirl]

So I have been riding my bike around a lot lately. Its a pretty cool rig. I like the "sweet spot" thingy where when you stand up on the pedals it stiffens up and when you sit down or lean back it plushens up. Very nice for climbing and eliminating biopace. The chassis is super stiff. It doesn't flex anywhere near as much as the y5.

The front shock on it sucks, so I'm getting a Judy XC for it. I had to put crappy pedals on it because I don't have proper shoes yet. Other than that I am extremely happy with my purchase. The excercise is awesome too. I like it much better than jogging.

Hopefully next weekend we can hit up Warrior's Path and this winter head to Ocala Hard Rock.

[Apex]

The only time I use platforms is on very technical terrain, but I have yet to find anything around here that is so technical, or fast, that I feel like clipless was a bad option.

I want to take mine up to like Colorado, Arizona, or some place with awesome trails. We have good ones here, but I'm sure I'll think they would suck after seeing a real trail. I'd love to ride the Leadville 100 one of these days. Need to work more on the mountain bike though. Maybe I'll swap my Kenda's with the stock Specialized tires (on my hardrock sport 29er) to get used to riding on the road on a mountain bike. That may be more of a workout than on the Trek 1.5. I would have a triple handy for those climbs too.

Dang you all!!! You aren't helping me out here! hahaha

[TnNinjaGirl]

Found some new places to ride!!

I've been enjoying my bike but it is too large. I'm looking for a hard tail because I want to try that out. I may have found a nice GF Katai.

I rode some Kona's around and really like them for the price compared to Specialized and Trek. I liked the hard tail Kona's better. The full suspensions just feel.... not right. I can't explain it.

[Apex]

I love the full suspension for the really long rides with lots of roots. The hard tail is fun for the shorter, sprint style rides I do. Of course having a 29-er for each is means they roll over stuff better...but I tend to be faster on my friends Titus 26" FS. I haven't ran against him on my HiFi yet, so I'm not quite sure if his bike or my bike will be faster.

Good luck on finding a good HT! They are a lot of fun.