This thread is about bikes

[Betty]

I ride for cardio. A lot. And hate every second of it. I have my favorite bike ever (Cervelo), but damn if every minute didn’t drag by.

[Lox]

Well that sounds miserable. I go for short spins through the desert and chase jackrabbit and cactus wren through the sahuaros. I think I need to set my sag because this thing feel like riding a tightly strung bow through the desert. I have the rebound set pretty quick and a bit of compression up front to make it act a bit more like the oldschool hardtail I came from, but it still feels a bit bouncy.

I think the hardest thing to get used to is actually the size of the wheels. I felt so frikkin fast on the 26s leaning into corners and shit. I have to actually steer this thing and it feels weird. Oh and pedal strikes. Pedal strikes everywhere. My fastest rides of the season so far are the ones where I leave the car and my feet don't touch the ground until I am back to the car. This bike might be able to do that if I give pedal strikes a pass but it feels like dabbing. What I am most surprised by is the climbing capabilities. When the front end goes up and you get over the rear wheel, you can deliver a lot of power to the ground. It ate up a couple climbs that are tricky and easily bombed a gnarly descent that is scary for your collarbones on the 98.

Seems like a lot of tradeoffs with these newschool bikes. They do feel like driving a couch through the desert... but if you can get it up to speed it is fast af. The brakes are powerful but that also can cut your speed. The bike is efficient, but you need that to counter the active suspension... and so on. The old bike is straightforward and this is fun to learn. They just opened a new flow trail here and for the first time I would like to get some of that. Early morning old man at the skatepark style of course.

My brake levers don't feel all jammed up, but with the shifter there is a big reach for the thumb to come around to the upshift lever. It is strange.

Now looking at the list of things I have to buy - shockpumps, hydraulic brake pads, teal aluminum bling to pimp my ride - i see why the industry decided we all need to ride fullsus tubeless dropper post bikes. It is a lot less harsh on the body and dudes get to fiddle with mechanical shit. Win win.

[Lox]

I have read no less than three articles in which people on these super-rides were stopped by dropper post issues. I started off really active with the post, but then settled into a good riding position and didn't mess with it until the gnarly descent. I rode a bit more today and notice the brake levers are a little loose and maybe a little close. I sure have to pull for a bit before the brake really kicks in, but I can also do that real quick if I have to. It's ok as I am coming from cable brakes.

The squish I am getting used to. I still think it is a bit too bouncy for my liking. I checked my sag and I'm at 30%, which is maybe a bit high. I am going to go ride again tomorrow and see. I just want to have a nice smooth ride and see if the bounce is really that bad. I feel like maybe I could use it if I start on the settings I finished with last time and work on a smooth line with no pedal strikes. I do have a rocky streambed to tight little
whoopty section in the mix tomorrow. Bounce bounce, baby.

I wonder if I can just run a really stiff rear shock to feel a bit more HT while giving me something for bombing descents. I think next week I have to try to find the new flow and jump trails at the underconstruction bike park, so maybe test out what it's like to have a more forgiving shock before I go crazy.

[Lox]

THE FUTURE IS NOW, OLD MAN!

Full bounce has made a lot of trails that suck ass on a hardtail fun to ride again.

Does this mean you now ride a squishy bike too?

[skav]

Yea, for a couple years now. Still riding the Surly, but mostly to get places on locked forest roads where I can chain it up and not worry too much. My lower back was getting really pissy at me bouncing down the rocky af trails here.

No issues with dropper post either, but have seen 2 fail on friends bikes while riding.

Does your rear have a lockout? I use mine all the time for climbs.

[Lox]

Nice lookin' rig.

I hear you on the back thing. I did not realize how jarring even a few miles can be, especially when compared to the full bounce. And based on how this bike climbs, I am not sure there is an advantage anywhere. I went out today to ride smooth and learn the new wheel size and had a fun day with a crash and a couple front end washouts and still managed to PR 4 out of 15 segments on accident. I would have crushed the fireball loop segment but some dude lost his glasses at the bottom of the fastest descent in the fastest segment and I almost hit him and his buddy who were both in the trail with their bikes in the middle of the feature. Sunday noobs fml.

Current rear shock is the RockShox Deluxe Select. Better than stock but not by much. It does not have a climb switch, but my climbs are in the context of tight singletrack so no need to lockout the rear for a long fire road for example. I'm hesitating a bit but considering dropping half the stimulus on an Ohlins TTX22M... a sick and simple ST coil shock. Then I will really be able to feel how bad the front needs an upgrade...

[Lox]

This thread doesn't have enough bikes. Betty... let's see the torture device you hate to put between your legs. Let's see the full sus oldster rides and even more of mountain's hardcore hardtail. I would even look at an ebike. It has come to that.



I might start liking this ride. Just need a new fork. And drivetrain. Oh and brakes. And...

[gorlik]

Ditched the mitts here in Michigan recently with the temps coming out of the 20s and almost through the spring thaw. The pic is the first day post-snow melt. Need to get back to AZ and UT for some riding .. jealous of the proper scenery.

[Lox]

New bike report. It rips.



Imagine what it will be like when I actually figure out how to tune a suspension...

[Lox]

That image is very big.

[Lox]

Fitting bike for a nerdy grad student...

[Betty]

This thread doesn't have enough bikes. Betty... let's see the torture device you hate to put between your legs.

https://imgur.com/a/bvWbHXJ

Cervelo Soloist Team. More necessary punishment than torture device. It fits me well, but is currently relegated to time on the trainer.

[skav]

That a ladylox bike? That saddle is sick.

[Betty]

That a ladylox bike? That saddle is sick.

If that’s directed at me, ladies’ saddle, but unisex time trial bike. But the aluminum frame version, so expensive but not ridiculously so. It’s light and responsive; the compact geometry is why it fits me well - it’s the only “real” bike I’ve had where I sit on my butt instead of my lady bits.

[skav]

Wasn't, but rad. Talking about that beautiful rockhopper.

I've got a Fizik Gobi XM on my cross/road bike. Definitely the best I've found so far for my delicate undercarriage, but all taints are special.

[Lox]

The '94 Rockhopper is a bike I kitted out to take to Europe way back when... The saddle is a Brev faux perforated leather jobby that was WAY less expensive than the Brooks I wanted. I splurged on the matching Oury grips. In the end, it would have been more expensive to ship the bike than the bike was worth, so this baby hung from a rafter in a basement for nine years.

I pumped up the tires and lubed the chain and it is good to go. Mostly stock with new tires, brake pads and Soma Sparrow bars to give it an upright feel. Would have been perfect for 4km of commute on the Rhine path, but I would not have gotten to know and love my mid-90s Checker Pig, a fine bicycle. One of the best. As awesome as modern bikes get, nothing beats the feel of these old all-rigid steel bikes.

To drop off the dry cleaning or pick up a prescription.

#RideRigid

[Lox]

Stopped to grab a white plastic bag off a sahuaro. Desert homies need help sometimes. Lets see if the Strava pic hotlinks.



(edit: Huge. Massive cactus forest.)