fontarin

I'm out of town this year unfortunately. 😞  I'll try to promote it to the folks I ride with though.

Yep, this one is on my radar.  We really need more funding for the parks - stealing it to prop up some other program has always annoyed me. 

I'd check prices before going with this deal.   I was interested so I checked on a Vivoactive 3 and with discount is was $2 more than it was on Amazon.  Checked a few more and they were cheaper by up to 20 bucks on other retail sites.

1 hour ago, ebflo said:

I live in Milwood and I'm kind of against this. My main concern is that replacing the whole path would mean it would be closed for multiple years while they do it. I would rather it just stay open in whatever state it's in. It doesn't need to be super pristine for hikers, joggers, or us. I've never seen a wheelchair or rollerblader on it, and some parts are likely too steep for either. Commuters can use Duval or Adelphi/Waters Park. So is this just for people that don't like to ride their road bikes on roads?

I would much rather see widening for sidewalks and/or bike lanes on Waters Park Road to make those new "sidewalks to nowhere" on Adelphi more useful.

I don't think much is needed.  I just think they'd need to add in some channels to direct water and repair a small portion of trail.   There's only one spot where I think it'll just continue to get worse and if they added in a concrete channel on both sides and a place for water to flow under the trail with reinforcement, it'd be fine.   Probably would involve adding 30 ft of channels and replacing one slab for something under the trail.

I will disagree about using Duval for commuting, though.   Mopac - Duval is pretty heavily traffic during commute times and I personally wouldn't feel safe riding it if I had to commute there.  The trail lets you at least get out at Duval close to the bike lanes.

Yeah, I know which section you're talking about without even looking at the site.   I knew it'd be a problem and start cracking eventually - and the gravel fill they've been using makes it super sketchy on a road bike.   I'm not sure who looked at it and thought 'this is good!' and signed off on it.

Here you go:  https://goo.gl/maps/3T27nNR9FGa63Zar7

Pin didn't stick, but it's the little paved circle where the trail starts.  You can park outside the gate and ride there.   When you take the road in from DB Woods, you'll see the gate house to the left, park to the right.  

Yeah, 99% sure that's a scam. Other 1% is stolen.  I see lots of similar bikes posted for cheap and they're generally all on multiple CLs around the country with the same scammy text.

1 minute ago, rockshins said:

Super curious about the Assegai as a front tire for around here, how does it do on the rocks?  I like slow tires so no worries on that front.  Have always had good luck with a DHF, but I am curious to run an Assegai up front.  

 

 

Solid so far.  I rode Cedar Breaks - Russell and back and had zero complaints.  Held up well and grip was good.  Hoping to get out to City Park soon but haven't had the chance yet.

Depending on your riding style and clearance, here are some options:

Assegai 2.5WT + Aggressor rear 2.5WT  - this combo has lots of grip but is heavy.

Assegai 2.5 WT + Assegai 2.5WT - LOTS of grip but very heavy.  I have these on my bike at the moment and the traction is awesome, but you pay for it on the smoother stuff.

Minion DHF 2.5WT + Aggressor 2.5WT - Good grip overall.  Nice overall choice if you rider rougher stuff constantly.

Minion DHF 2.5WT + Rekon 2.4WT -  Good grip and decent rolling resistance.  Great overall feel and what i'll probably swap to, unless I try Assegai + Rekon.

Rekon + Rekon - Grip isn't as good but will roll faster.

Here's the Assegai I use.  There's a lighter option with just Exo that I'm assuming is a little less tough.

52 minutes ago, mack_turtle said:

Crests are generally considered super-light XC race wheels for lightweight riders. I'm 160 pounds and I dented the hell of a rear Crest is short order riding in Georgia, which is much less rocky. YMMV and all that, but most people riding CenTex terrain would be wise to avoid them in favor of something wider, stiffer, and stronger. 

Yeah, I had some Crests a few years ago that were pretty flimsy on rocks, but I know they've recently made some improvements (or so I've heard) so I wasn't going to judge the new version.  They are XC wheels though, and for general riding I'd go with something a little burlier/wider.

Yeah, there are plenty of aluminum options out there if you want to go cheaper.

Also, if you want to go to something like a 2.5 WT or 2.6, something around 35mm internal seems to be ideal.   Not sure if tires that big would fit on a Spark though clearance-wise.

I'll throw in a shout out for a local wheel builder/company - Solid wheels from what I've seen and I'll probably get my next set from them.

https://www.dirtcomponents.com/29-36-1mm-rc-1

Other options:

Roval makes both a ligher (1700ish g) and a heavier (1800g) version of carbon wheels.  They just announced a 2 year replacement warranty, so even if you crash and break, they'll provide a rim replacement.  Both have DT Swiss hubs.

https://rovalcomponents.com/collections/trail/products/traverse-carbon

https://rovalcomponents.com/collections/trail/products/2019-traverse-sl

Bontrager makes some decent carbon wheels too with same warranty (I think):

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/equipment/cycling-components/bike-wheels/c/E209/

It's rough in the summer as it's super hot but there is water at every camp at least.  I generally do the loop a few times a year, but I usually go sometime late fall - early spring.  Bummed to miss the dragonslayer this year but will be travelling to AZ for riding during the last two weeks of Nov.   If you want to do the loop, that's a great event to try it on.

I've got some 780s on the new bike, but I'll probably cut down to 750.  I've tried shorter and longer handlebars but that seems to be the sweet spot for me.  I can see longer bars if you do quite a bit more downhill than up on groomed trails because it does give more control, but may not be practical for everyday riding around here.

There are definitely some bikepacking routes.   I've seen some pretty long routes but am coming up blank searching for them at the moment.  I'll see if I can find it.

If you're a member of the Teas Bikepacking group on Facebook, you may be able to ask for some routes there.

24 minutes ago, AntonioGG said:

Would you do the EB on a Ripley then?

Hm, maybe?  Still has the steep STA  that I feel isn't as good for lots of long flat road miles, but I'm still getting used to it.  That may change after I get more than 3-4 rides on the bike.  

Also you probably wouldn't have the absolute boat anchor of a tire that is the Maxxis Assegai (seriously, they weigh nearly 1200g a piece and came front/rear stock) on there.  They're super awesome for grip and confidence, but you can feel them anytime you're on something smooth.  I may swap out to something like a Minion front and Rekon WT rear at some point, which would make the Ripmo more likely to be a longer day bike. 

16 minutes ago, Anita Handle said:

I do think there is value in sampling different geometries. For example, you *think* a Ripmo would be a horrible choice for you but an Ibis bike with 160mm of fork travel will probably ride way different than a Gorilla Gravity with 130mm. Ibis, in general, are more XC oriented. Maybe it isn't the best fit but I think you'd be surprised that geometry impacts the way a bike rides more than a specific travel number. 

Yep, I just picked up an Ibis Ripmo.  I thought it'd be way too much travel for me.  After riding it and the Ripley, it only gave up a little on the climbs and made bigger drops/rock gardens feel so much better and is a blast at Spider Mtn.   

I will say the steep STA takes some getting used to.  I felt unusually fatigued after the first few rides but I feel like I've adapted mostly and it's starting to feel more natural.  It still isn't really a bike I'd pick up for 80 mile rides on mixed terrain - I'll likely do the EB on a much shorter travel bike, where I'll have to be more careful at BCGB and City Park but the majority will be easier to pedal.

1 hour ago, AustinBike said:

I love Yeti but HATE those little pistons on the SB4.5. Basically it is a.) a proprietary design, b.) probably a pain to service and c.) something that will have to be serviced. I want a bike with a rear shock, not 3, that is only going to bump up the service costs and make tuning it a pain. The SB100 looks more like my style, but that is only 120mm and configured bikes start ~$5100, so after discount it will probably still be $500-700 more than the competition. I'd get one in memory of Anthony (had a great demo the last time I saw him) but the premium is a bit steep.

Make sure you read up on the issues with the SB100 too if you end up considering it.   While it's not universal, quite a few people have had issues with creaking and then a ton of flex after the 'fix' from Yeti.  I know of at least 2 folks in town who had issues and ended up getting rid of theirs due to it.  

I really wanted one because it checked off a bunch of boxes of stuff I like, but decided against it.  I'll probably look at the Mach 4 SL when I want another XC bike.

9 minutes ago, AntonioGG said:

They still have the coffee rides on the Turbos (non Levo) and Comos right at Guadalupe right?

Yeah, they still have e-bikes for rent in the normal commuter variety, just not the full squish ones.

BSS no longer has rental eMTBs.  They did for a few years but haven't picked any up the past two years or so.

2 minutes ago, AustinBike said:

Yeah, far be it for me to overcomplicate the process. Going to try to ride a few, but if I happen across a killer deal, I could pull the trigger today. Because I can't compare the total discounted price until I have actual quotes, I am going off of list to list comparisons, but the final number will require a little more work. But the two top bikes (on paper) are the Ripley and the Tallboy. The new Tallboy is not available yet. Both at list are identical for the most part.

I tested the Ripley a few weeks ago. Awesome bike.  I wanted more travel so I went with the Ripmo instead.   Talk to Wes at Velorangutan about a demo on the Ripley - I know he has a medium and I think a large.

On 9/9/2019 at 6:59 AM, AustinBike said:

Opinions, yeah, you all have them. I'm starting the process and instead of spamming the board and spinning off a million different threads, I'll consolidate here.

Interested in your thoughts on the following:

1. Buying a fully configured bike vs. building? Knowing that my credit card gives me extra warranty is it worth buying a full bike all in one shot? I could buy the components ala carte and build one up, but is there a benefit from a warranty perspective? (My shop warranty experience has been mixed....)

2. Anyone ever buy from Competitive Cyclist? Wondering if I could get a frame with headset and bottom bracket installed. I could do the BB easily but I don't have a headset press. Would love them shipped to me ready to go.

3. Should I keep my 6-month old Pike boost fork since it is already at 130mm (my preferred travel) or sell it and just get a new fork with the bike? Any benefit on getting the fork matched to the frame or is this stuff all pretty compatible (thinking primarily about offset.) Would rather save the money and put it towards better wheels (see #4).

4. Anyone use Stan's Neo hubs? I know I want Arch MK3 rims, King hubs would be nice, but very expensive, DT Swiss would be my preferred, but Stan's wheels with Neo seem attractively priced and easy to acquire. Worth it?

5. 11-speed vs. 12-speed? I just upgraded my Niner to 11-speed about 2 months ago so I have a brand new drive train. Does it make sense to transfer this over? I unfortunately made a ton of upgrades to my bike recently and would like to salvage that. Is 11-speed going to stick around as long as 10-speed did or is it going to disappear quickly (have not watched the trajectory that 12-speed components might be coming down.)

 

I am guessing I will return to add more questions to this as things progress.

 

1. Unless you're spending a good bit of time looking for great deals, full bike will generally be a better deal.

2.  I haven't, but I've heard good things.  I've ordered one from Jenson and it was mostly assembled and took probably 30 minutes to set up - most of that getting it out of the packaging.

3.  Depends on what you get.

4.  I'll echo everyone else - Stan's hubs have been meh.  Most of my hubs are DT Swiss and are super reliable.

5.  11 Speed is fine for around here.  It probably won't be specced much on new bikes since there are some really affordable 12 speed options.

If you're interested in used, depending on what you're looking for, I've got a med Canfield Riot (asking 2100 but willing to negotiate, mostly asking that for the inevitable craigslist lowballers) up for sale and will be posting a Trance Advanced Pro 29 soon (will likely be asking about 3k) (https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/trance-advanced-pro-29-1).

I've also got a new HD 2.35.  Was going to mount it to a wheel earlier in the week but went with another tire instead.  

1 hour ago, AntonioGG said:

My coach raced with them.  He had 2 identical Orbea Almas setup SS with eccentric BB and had good results.  I asked him about the creaking and he didn't have a problem.

Might have just been Niner's EBB setup specifically then.  That's where I heard of most of the creaking problems.