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I have a fully plush FS bike, a steel hardtail singlspeed and a steel hardtail fully rigid with gears for my 3 trail bikes. I am always swapping back and forth between bikes and doing that really keeps me on my toes. I find if I ride the SS at Walnut and then ride the FS on the exact same trail, exact same route, it is a completely different ride. Having extra bikes is like having extra trails.

So after another year of heavy riding, the frame damage I incurred a few years ago is finally starting to show itself. I was preparing to do some upgrades and decided to peel my band-aid sticker off and take a closer look. The top tube is clearly starting to crack all the way around with softness and even some movement along the crack. Intense offered a new front triangle in a different color for around $600. Since I love my original Primer so much, I opted to pay an extra $500 and just get a complete, new frame in one color. Since most of my bits are orange flavored, things should still come out looking nice on that red/orange colorway.

Saw this on the ride today. They make 'em up in Illinois, not too far from my sister.

I have two bikes: *hardtail, singlespeed, dropper, heavy steel, flat pedals. There's not a lot that can break on it that can't be fixed quickly. Short all around, needs a 70mm stem to fit me. Not much BB drop, slack seat tube, not very "slack" up front. *Gravel bike: also singlespeed, tubeless 650B-47mm tires, mechanical brakes, drop bar. If something goes really wrong with the hardtail, I can ride the gravel bike. I like riding the gravel just as much as the mountain bike, it's just a different experience. I just chose different routes when I do. I don't think the "old" geometry and weight is holding me back. When I approach features that I have to walk on my bike, I never say to myself "If I had a FS bike, I'd totally send that!" But maybe it is. It's not easy to demo the kind of bikes I'd like to ride, so I might never know. It's probably better that I remain ignorant! I'd definitely not recommend owning only one bike if you really love riding! Having at least two significantly different bikes is a good idea.

I have three "real" bikes. I justify that because every now and then I can get both my two sons out at the same time for a ride. They don't have bikes so they use mine. Great fun and selling one would come nowhere close to the value I get out of riding with them. My Cannondale Lefty has flats on it. So when I'm wearing work boots and have my Trail Boss tool backpack loaded up for trail work, it works great. My newest bike that is my primary one is a Giant Trance Advanced Pro. My backup bike is a Niner Rip 9 RDO. I take the Niner on our camping/riding trips. I really love both bikes. There wasn't a good reason to get the Giant other than N+1. But going from one bike to the other takes about 30 minutes of riding to readjust. The Giant is very slack compared to the Niner. Going from the Niner to the Giant makes me feel like I am driving a tricked out motorcycle chopper. Or an oil tanker. Going from the Giant to the Niner I feel like I'm going to go over the handlebars if I jump a curb. Very strange sensations either way. There is no discernable weight difference. The Niner is actually a little lighter than the Giant. And I've "had" to ride the back up bike maybe three times now with the Giant in the shop for this or that. I am very glad I do have a back up bike.

Zombie thread resurrection. Just read this article and found it very interesting. I figured posting it here would be better than starting a new thread. https://www.pinkbike.com/news/interview-chris-leatt-on-mtb-injury-research-and-protective-gear.html

It's been 6 years since I bought my first full-suspension bike. Sure it was a happy day as any new-bike day is, but in reality the 2014 model I bought on clearance in 2015 was already outdated, old-school geo, 3x drivetrain, non-boost, etc. It was only a year-and-a-half later that I decided I wanted something lighter and more modern, which led me to the purchase of my 2017 Intense Primer that I have truly loved as my everyday bike for going on 5 years now. With the Primer out of commission while I await a frame replacement, I dusted off the old Trek Remedy 29er, a 140/140 heavy aluminum bike with a really short front-center and 70mm stem. Given how much my riding capabilities have advanced since the last time I even rode this old bike, I was asking myself, should I even be doing the same stuff on this bike that I do on my regular bike. What I quickly discovered is all that really matters is where my feet are planted on the pedals relative to where my hands are gripping the handlebar. With the right distance there, the rest just comes down to keeping your body balanced on the bike and applying the necessary skills to move the bike effectively beneath you, whether the tires are on the ground or off the ground. A few other takeaways from my ride today: 1. The SLX brakes don't slow me down near as quickly as the XTR brakes on my other bike. 2. The SLX shifter makes me realize how bad the arthritis is in my thumb, whereas I don't even notice it with my XX1 shifter on my other bike. 3. Five pounds of added weight on a bike makes a big difference. Still, the heavier bike just reminds you of the importance of momentum. It is only after slowing way down and then trying to accelerate when you really notice it, or when you're trying to bunny hop more than 6 inches off the ground. Besides, I came away with a better workout then I'd get on my much lighter bike and when I eventually get back to riding it, I'll feel like SuperMan. 4. There is something to be said for the simplicity of a mechanical dropper. In reality, I really don't need more than 3 positions for my seat height for the type of riding I mostly do. Also, after it stopped working halfway into my ride (probably because I failed to check the air pressure before putting it back in service after so many years), I simply kept it in the middle position and came out of the saddle for the punchy climbs, which I often do anyway. And I could still have dropped it all the way down if I really needed to, but would then just have had to yank it back up by gripping it between my thighs or grabbing it with one hand. 5. Riding old school geo is a great reminder of the tradeoffs that come with new school geo, which is probably why I've loved my original Primer so much with its tweener specs. By adding only 1/2 inch of reach on my Primer vs. the old Remedy, it affords me the opportunity to run a shorter stem, which is really all I want from new school geo. I can't imagine how I would possibly maneuver my bike up and over ledges or through tricky rock gardens or around hairpin switchbacks with the type of reach and wheelbase that is coming spec'd on new bikes these days. Suppose the reality is that M is the new L, and unless you're only interested in keeping your bike pointed down, there are going to be sacrifices when really stretching your body out over your bike. 6. Most importantly, having a backup bike, no matter how old, heavy, or outdated, keeps you on the trail. And in the overall scheme of things these days, any ride is better than no ride at all! Please share your love (or hate) for your backup bike! Or if you're more fortunate than most of us, brag here about your entire fleet of modern bikes!

Way to bring it back to riding! My happy date is 4/17 so the following Tuesday the R&Is begin.

Dude, seriously, your doctor recommended having COVID? OK, I'm no doctor but I would have gotten a second opinion on that one 😉

I'm beginning to really relate to some of this sentiment. A year ago this virus had us up in the night thinking this could be another 1918 incident. Fast forward a year later, and were almost out of the jungle. Youngest has had hers done and dusted for a couple weeks. Wife gets hers on the 1st from TEA so they can travel again and I'll follow shortly after. Fine with me. There has to be an end game to all of this. Our "leaders" and "experts" have been proven to really have no idea what this virus was going to do and how to handle it. I'm growing tired of all the fear and ready to get the god damned shot and move on. Imagine if everyone took their personal health as seriously as they did this virus. They'd get off their assess, eat right, get off their phones and get some fucking sleep. They'd be a lot better off in life. Further more, imagine if all of these politicians got off their assess and fixed the american healthcare instead of fixing the game. Rant fucking off

I ride it when I feel guilty, look up and it just looks lonely and sad hanging from the rack. Then when I ride it I always think, "why don't I ride this more?!". It's also my back-up 12hr and 24hr endurance racing bike, especially when it's muddy. I last raced it in 2017 I think. I used to race it XC and ride it more until I broke my ankle. For the months after I needed something cushier to ride and something I could spin in vs have to torque in. I think I'll take it for a ride later today!

My brain is like, wait...what?

2011 Ritchey P29er setup SS with Chris King hubs and Hope Race X2 brakes. It's so steep but it handles so well and I just love tossing it around. The worst part on the frame is the straight steerer tube. It never feels quite tight/solid like a tapered one. The other worst part are the skinny flexy Stan's rims.

I had a 2017 Cannondale Scapel si as a backup bike, but wanted the room in the garage so it got sold. I have the Kona gravel bike but to be honest, it's hell on 1/4 notch. I guess I don't really have a backup bike for the Bronson.

Really like that frame, and color.

My understanding is that the vaccine prevents severe illness and hospitalization it does not prevent the illness itself. I will be getting my shots as soon as I can hopefully at the 90 day timeline after having had COVID that my doctor recommended. From what I've heard even though you have been fully immunized you can still get, carry and spread the virus. It's basically a higher transmissible version of the flu. My doctor recommended that I get only one shot because he said having had the virus is your first dose and that the first shot for me would be my second dose and boost my immunity significantly and that the second dose doesn't really do anything more. Like it's been mentioned an MTB forum may not be the best place to get information.

I liked it better when I thought it was pink.

Holding out hope for advances in synthetic fuel. https://jalopnik.com/porsche-claims-its-synthetic-fuel-could-make-combustion-1846319665

We took our backup bikes out for some shakedown runs on SATN today. They are 10lbs heavier than our primary bikes, don't want to roll and generally perform like shit here. Made us really appreciate modern carbon whunderbikes for sure😁 At one point or another I had 4-5 bikes at the same time. All new/nice bikes of various disciplines and thought I needed all of them. Ended up unloading everything and were down to just two bikes between the wife and I. Just realized our regular 100mm bikes were really perfect for riding out here. We also just had a TON of overlap with the others. This is the first time my wife has had two bikes and we will take all four on the next trip so we can ride wherever we want. Looking forward to that. This is also the longest we've kept bikes as we've had our kona hei heis for three years. The other two will probably get sold off after we're done traveling since used bike prices are so high. The one thing I'm looking to add is a newer progressive style gravel bike whenever we can buy them again.

Playing with the fancy stuff on the phone. Oh, and drinking beer.

It's been down Endo valley at WC. The Lauf fork helps *some*.

Gravel Bike is at least still a good option for getting some miles in and I would guess there are plenty of places where they are well suited. I've got an old XC 29er race hardtail that I used to ride on backcountry gravel roads and that was a lot of fun exploring.

This was taken at f/0.95. DOF is THIN, but awesome.

I'll still wear one if the store requires it, but that will be about it. I have a little time left, I just got the first jab, wife has her second next week.

I have a 24mm f/1.4 for full frame, and a 35mm f/0.95 for APS-c. I'm a huge fan of prime lenses.

It's 2 months till my (first) Bentonville trip. Should be very clear of most of this. Would be cool to ride with some of y'all if anyone is going up there.

Oh yeah I'm going to the R&I that first Tuesday I'm in the clear too! I kinda feel like we should do some kind of big party at Pace Bend.

If you ever want to take pics on trails and send them to me I can add them to my trial reviews with full credit for you.

There is not enough data on this. The conventional wisdom is that if you can't get it, you can't spread it. Generally the belief is that there are a couple phases, including clean, infected but not asymptomatic, asymptomatic, and symptomatic. From what I have seen, in the first two cases you can't spread it, in the third case you *could* spread it and in the fourth case you are spreading it. But, what do I know, I'm just a mediocre biker who spends a lot of time reading about this, I'm not an epidemiologist.

Like Albert said, a MTBing site is not the best place to get these answers...but we still do all come here and ask and answer. 🙂 A conclusive answer is indeed hard to find. At this point what I've seen from experts is to be safe and mask. But they also said spreading depends on: how much virus is present, how much you shed, how infectious it is. If you are immune and don't get sick, it doesn't mean you don't have any. Whether you shed any or how much is a good question. I think it's safe to assume how much you shed if you've had it or have been vaccinated is much less. So far the sharply downward trending numbers seem to support this. I certainly have not seen people be any more reserved about going out and going back to "normal". My brother (a geeky BSEE/M.D. but not an immunologist/virologist) seems to think we can "go lick door knobs". I think I will not. I think first place for my wife and I after I get my 2nd shot will be to go to a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse, with drinks before. I'm not sure I'll wear a mask at all. Maybe by then more data will be out. It's fun to start thinking about plans. We already have a trip planned to the NE in July for my sister's wedding.

Pfft, screw the red then, be a man, paint them pink!

Took a couple packs of 512 IPAs with us to Rockport this week. The juicy was $12 for a 4-pack the Mosaic was $10 for a 6-pack. My wife assumed that the 4-pack were double IPAs. Nope. Both were good, but $3/bottle is a bit much for my taste.

Yeah, I don't get the Cybertruck at all.