Do You Mountain Bike?

[PhoS]

I walloped one of the OEM wheels that came on my Meta in Santacruz a little while ago. Finally got my hands on some of the new stans flow mk3 hoops and laced them up. Pretty damn impressed with them so far. I have a set of the old flows on my hardtail that have held up for years on many bikes so I had high expectations. 29mm internal makes the tires look massive.

 

[Sidewalk]

My LBS is lacing up some new Flows for me (don't know when they'll be done). Really looking forward to the new hoops and a nice 2.35 or larger front. I'm guessing I'll see them Sunday.

 

[PhoS]

Finally got my new DJ frame rollin. Took it over to the lumberyard and proceeded to crash immediately. (old maxxis tires on wood = death) Took a few laps to get my flow back but it went well. Excited to have this place close for some cross-training on rainy days.

 

[FreeRyde]

Did Phos just admit to crashing?

 

[Sidewalk]

Shit, I crashed twice yesterday, still came home with this.

Cat 1, 35-39.

 

[PhoS]

Did Phos just admit to crashing?

It happens arty

 

[MrCrash]

Avid rider here, live in Novato. I have a 2015 Pivot Mach 6, great bike! Always looking for people to ride with. I know a lot of great trails in Marin.

I really like my Mach 6

 

[roxy]

I only need three top 5 finishes to request an upgrade to Pro! So I'm going to try and get in one more top 5 before next season.

Yep, it's 2 top 3, or 3 top 5 finishes in order to upgrade.

Been years since I raced, I kinda miss it.
May have to downgrade to Cat 1 if I ever go back to racing

 

[ndirienzo]

Shit, I crashed twice yesterday, still came home with this.

Cat 1, 35-39.

Crashing again! Nice work on still pulling third!

About two weeks into my road trip. Rode in Golden for about 10 days and now am here in Crested Butte

White Ranch in Golden - got a touch of rain so it was all super tacky

IMG_3225 by nicholas dirienzo, on Flickr

View of Golden while climbing up Chimney Gulch and Lookout Mountain... 2000' of vert at a 9% average. Rough when you're starting at 6000'!

IMG_3227 by nicholas dirienzo, on Flickr

A buddy from Chicago came out... the climbs killed him, but he did pretty well on the downhills. Apex Park is amazing BTW. Rode it probably 6 times.

IMG_3235 by nicholas dirienzo, on Flickr

Went for a swim at 10000'

IMG_3241 by nicholas dirienzo, on Flickr

401 Trail in Crested Butte. Freaking amazing... 2300' of vert and you get up to almost 11,500'. The climb is rough but then you get to rip miles of singletrack through the wildflowers

IMG_3263 - IMG_3274 by nicholas dirienzo, on Flickr

 

[PhoS]

Great pics. CO is the shiznit I lived there for a good while, definitely would go back. Those climbs are why SRAM eagle exists. Fookin treacherous at altitude.

 

[ndirienzo]

... Those climbs are why SRAM eagle exists. Fookin treacherous at altitude.

For f'ing real! I actually run a 28t front on my 29ers, so I'm overall fine on the climbs. I'll be jumping to Eagle as soon as my rear derailleur gives out (which will be quite soon) as I'd love to get a bit more bottom end back.

On another note - the replacement carbon seatstay has been holding strong. Third time's the charm, apparently.

 

[Cookie Monster]

Hey guys,

I'd like to try mountain biking but am not sure where to start. Before I get flamed too hard, would it be a bad idea to buy this:

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products...icycles-mtb/fuji-tahoe-275-mountain-bikes.htm

?

I have another BD road bike, but it's a single speed (Mercier Kilo TT). I know how to work on bikes so I don't think I'd have to take it to an LBS.

There seem to be a lot of decent beginner-friendly trails around south bay/peninsula so I wanted to take advantage of that. Thanks!

 

[ndirienzo]

Hey guys,

I'd like to try mountain biking but am not sure where to start. Before I get flamed too hard, would it be a bad idea to buy this:

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products...icycles-mtb/fuji-tahoe-275-mountain-bikes.htm

?

I have another BD road bike, but it's a single speed (Mercier Kilo TT). I know how to work on bikes so I don't think I'd have to take it to an LBS.

There seem to be a lot of decent beginner-friendly trails around south bay/peninsula so I wanted to take advantage of that. Thanks!

Yea, all the BD bikes are OK... they're pretty low end frames, and they skimp on the parts you don't noticed (e.g. bottom bracket, hubs, spokes, stem/post/bars). I always tell people that you'll come out on top going with a major brands. The flashy parts may be a touch lower end, but still totally fine for a new rider. The perk is that the rest of the parts will be more balanced and thus last longer. Something like this would be $900 at a local shop: http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...in-bikes/x-caliber/x-caliber-8/p/2043600-2016. Totally fine for a new rider, and you'll have all the perks of LBS support.

 

[Sidewalk]

Yep, it's 2 top 3, or 3 top 5 finishes in order to upgrade.

Been years since I raced, I kinda miss it.
May have to downgrade to Cat 1 if I ever go back to racing

Official results were submitted today, so my request is on the way! I upgraded to Cat1 two races in to this season too

I love racing in general. I'm very addicted to competition. Running, tri, motorcycles, MTB. I just seem to be slightly better at MTB then the other sports (especially motorcycles, I suck at that ).

Crashing again! Nice work on still pulling third!

Thanks. Also my first dropped chain with the XX1, sucked into the crank

My inner triathlete got jealous of that lake photo. I missed out on registering for the Big Bear Tri which is at 7000'.

For f'ing real! I actually run a 28t front on my 29ers, so I'm overall fine on the climbs. I'll be jumping to Eagle as soon as my rear derailleur gives out (which will be quite soon) as I'd love to get a bit more bottom end back.

On another note - the replacement carbon seatstay has been holding strong. Third time's the charm, apparently.

Are you running a 42 in the rear? E13 has that 9x44 cassette now

Hey guys,

I'd like to try mountain biking but am not sure where to start. Before I get flamed too hard, would it be a bad idea to buy this:

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products...icycles-mtb/fuji-tahoe-275-mountain-bikes.htm

?

I have another BD road bike, but it's a single speed (Mercier Kilo TT). I know how to work on bikes so I don't think I'd have to take it to an LBS.

There seem to be a lot of decent beginner-friendly trails around south bay/peninsula so I wanted to take advantage of that. Thanks!

I can't recommend your local bike shop enough (assuming you look them up to check them out first). You may pay a few more dollars then online, but that is a maybe, and you will get your money back.

I have become good friends with my LBS and even work there part time. I have heard the owner tell people when they come in when they ask "What do you think of this (brand not sold there)?" "Well, a $1000 bike is a $1000 bike. I don't care if it is Trek or Cannondale. If you buy a $5000 BMC, it is going to be as good as a $5000 Scott. All that matters is what you are comfortable on." And while they do have a lot more overhead, they will help drop the prices here and there if they can. Sometimes they can't. But my LBS does free adjustments for as long as you own the bike. Warranty issue? They take care of you. Trust me, knowing your bike is rolling out the door in proper form is a big deal, having seen internet bikes come in to be "inspected" only to have to spend a couple of hours repairing a botched factory assembly.

That said, I started racing last year on a borrowed 26" wheel, 40 pound hard tail. My friend paid $400 for it. As long as you are having fun, that is really all that matters.

 

[Cookie Monster]

Thanks for the advice!

What do you guys think of going used? Also, I used to have a single speed converted mountain bike that I liked. Would a SS bike be a bad idea? Thanks!

 

[ndirienzo]

Are you running a 42 in the rear? E13 has that 9x44 cassette now

Yep! 42r/28f. My big ass will happily toss on a 50 when I step up to Eagle... I'll bump the front to 30 though.

Thanks for the advice!

What do you guys think of going used? Also, I used to have a single speed converted mountain bike that I liked. Would a SS bike be a bad idea? Thanks!

Um, used can be good if you know what you're looking for (or have a friend that does). I say go for gears. They work great, don't add much weight, and will really help you out as a newer rider. I honestly see no reason not to get gears these days!

 

[Cookie Monster]

Yep! 42r/28f. My big ass will happily toss on a 50 when I step up to Eagle... I'll bump the front to 30 though.



Um, used can be good if you know what you're looking for (or have a friend that does). I say go for gears. They work great, don't add much weight, and will really help you out as a newer rider. I honestly see no reason not to get gears these days!

Thanks! I've been looking around at a lot of bikes and my favorite so far is the Transition Trans Am 27.5. I can't find any dealers locally though, so I'm hoping to get my hands on one somehow.

 

[Sidewalk]

Yep! 42r/28f. My big ass will happily toss on a 50 when I step up to Eagle... I'll bump the front to 30 though.

Hell, with a 50 rear, might as well go 39

I'm running a 32 XX1. I know I could push a 34, but I basically never spin out on the hard tail.

Um, used can be good if you know what you're looking for (or have a friend that does). I say go for gears. They work great, don't add much weight, and will really help you out as a newer rider. I honestly see no reason not to get gears these days!

I agree. The only down side about used is if you don't know what you are looking at or miss something. If you don't realize that the cassette and chain are worn and your fork has never been serviced, now you are suddenly out a few hundred bucks potentially. Add in worn out tires, etc.

My commuter is SS and I like it. I have nothing against SS MTB's at all. My friend started out racing endurance on a SS, but switched to XX1. If that is what you really want, go for it. But then you are stuck with that one ratio, and I hope you like it

 

[ABC]

Anyone own a Santa Cruz highball? I'm pretty sure after a few months of research and testing bikes this seems to be the best fit for me. After talking with someone yesterday he said the steel Santa Cruz frames bend way easier then most other brands. Is this true?

 

[ndirienzo]

Anyone own a Santa Cruz highball? I'm pretty sure after a few months of research and testing bikes this seems to be the best fit for me. After talking with someone yesterday he said the steel Santa Cruz frames bend way easier then most other brands. Is this true?

Highballs are carbon frames, not steel. SC frames are known for being pretty damn durable, so not sure where the guy is getting the idea that they're weak. Maybe he had is brands mixed up.