AustinBike

You sir, are winning the internets today.

Yeah, there are OEM posts and OEM designs, so it is possible that multiple manufacturers are either rebadging an OEM product or creating their product from a licensed OEM design. I am pretty sure that PNW makes their own products (from my conversations with them) so they may be using some of the third party designs for a time to market advantage. Their website says: 3. We buy direct. I'm sure you've heard all those sleazy diamond commercials over the years "BUY DIRECT AND SAVE". Well, while we don't agree with their delivery of that message, there is something to say for not going through many layers of middlemen. We get our parts directly from manufacturers, don't have a large staff and focus on online marketing. This strategy changes the way most brands do business and is similar to how many brands in other industries have been successfully doing things for years. So they clearly OEM some (if not all) of the parts. Just like how an iPhone is made, basically. It really comes down to 2 things: how well you manage your supply chain and how well you manage your service. 2 companies can OEM the same product and end up with different experiences because one has tougher engineering tolerances and will reject too many for being out of spec. They would tend to have higher prices. They would also be more confident in doing returns. So even if they are the same as Brand X (i.e. bought the same OEM design) they COULD be better. Brand X could have lower tolerances and thus get a better overall price (and be less willing to go with a longer warranty knowing that there is a greater probability for failure down the road.) Quality, features and price, pick any two. Not saying Brand X is a bad product, just that it is HIGHLY unlikely that PNW ever touched their stuff. PNW just isn't large enough to do that.

I am not 100% sure that Brand X is actually made by PNW, the numbers don't seem right (if they are made in Seattle it id doubtful that they could sell the exact same product in the UK at a much lower price....) What I really LOVE about PNW is their support. 3 year warranty. When I broke mine (and I literally mean that I BROKE mine) trying to service it, they sent one out second day air so I would have it in time for the BCGB death march. They have awesome support. Not sure you can get a Brand X replaced that quick due to customs and international shipping. Also, Brand X has a 2 year warranty and PNW is 3 years.

^ This. I went 1x9 and never looked back. I rarely touch my 42T cassette ring because I can't get enough torque, I climb much better in my 36T for steep climbs and 32T for moderate climbs. Most of a 3X system are overlaps that just add weight for combinations you will never use. Most of my miles are on a singlespeed, including the greenbelt. If you decide to go 1x9, get a narrow-wide, it is cheaper and easier than a chain guide and will keep your chain on the crank better. Also, you can probably cut your chain down a bit as you no longer need the big ring.

Where is the Chuck R&I quote board when you really need it?

Yeah, not really bomb proof, the Taliban used Hilux pickups a lot, based on the videos, they don't stand up to bombs that well. https://www.wearethemighty.com/tech/how-the-white-toyota-hilux-became-the-favorite-vehicle-of-terrorists

I will be there ~4 again to get some early single speed miles and will plan to meet the social pace group ~4:45 or so in the lot. Bringing bratwurst.

I guess I have a Garmin 510 because I do not have crash notification. Could have used it last weekend by Taco Man's house 😉

Going 1x9 may be an easy way for you to quickly solve this problem. I did this years ago on my 26er. I realized that I never touched the big ring and only occasionally used the granny. So I removed them and went 1x9. Basically I had ~95% of the range that I had before and was missing out on only the steepest climbing gear. Then I realized that a little more climbing help was needed so I dropped to 30T on the front. That $35 investment in a RaceFace narrow-wide chainring gave me a little more climbing room, and I dropped some of the top end crunching for riding on pavement (which I only did in the EB...) Eventually I changed out the cassette and derailleur for a 10-speed (which is really cheap now as it gets to end of life) and bought myself some additional range. Eventually tossed on an extended cassette, a 42T which I generally don't recommend. Sunrace is the only company making a 42T 10-speed cassette and it is crappy, I much prefer the Shimano, but those top out at 36T. If you wanted to go all the way up to 11-speed you get some additional climbing power. But, that becomes a more expensive proposition. Even so, going all the way up to 11-speed is probably still cheaper than a Garmin. And depending on how you ride, the simplicity of 1X setup is something that you will benefit from every day, all the time, where a Garmin (for maps) will really only benefit you on those occasions where you get lost. Now, let's talk about that Garmin. First, the 520 is not good for maps, I have one and it is mediocre at best. If you want a Garmin to help you when you get lost you are looking at the 800 series. I would not buy a x20 series, if you are going to spend the money, go with the newer x30 series, which are $300 for the 530 and $400 for the 830 (the one you would need). While I ride with a 520 on my stem all the time, I do it for stats. It is incredibly useful in helping me know how long I have been riding, how much climbing I have done, my average speed and all the other nerdy stuff that I want to know. But it is not essential. I miss it when I have forgotten to pack it, but it is also liberating at times to not be staring at it. If I was concerned about riding my way when I get lost, I'd use my smartphone, which is way better with a larger screen. Yeah, you have to stop and pull it out, but when you are lost, stopping is THE most important thing you can do. Trying to figure out your way while you are riding might just put you more off course. Here's some simple math:

Does he have a friend that is a good mechanic? If so, we should talk about droppers.....

In fairness, even though I was sweating like a whore in church, it was November. But the black claw chicken soup must be served at scalding temperatures for the magical healing powers of the claw to take effect.

Yeah, and this is how I gained weight apparently:

What kinda weirdo freak do you think I am??? Oh, yeah, that's right, you know. Here's the vid: Most importantly, I am stunned at how fat my face is. That was ~50-60 pounds ago.

It's not often that I am faster than other people 😉 Also, Nando, make sure that he budgets a few hundred for component upgrades. Trust me, there will be things that will need to be replaced soon. You have a big enough network here that if he needs parts we can probably help out on some of them, but he needs to know that $600 is just to get into the show and the concession stand can get expensive 😉

I have yearly challenges that I give myself. One year I challenged myself to ride more miles on my bike than I drove in my car. Even though I had an office job I commuted to work by bike and ended up putting under 5K on the car with ~6K on the bike. Current car is ~3 years old and I am semi-retired. Even with a Colorado road trip on it I still have only ~17K miles. Haven't looked at my bike mileage for the past few years but I would bet I am pretty close to that 17K since buying the car.

When I was doing the EB I had tortillas with peanut butter, Nutella and banana. They were a mess to carry so I had to pack each one in its own sandwich bag, but it was just the right amount of carb and potassium to fuel me. Then I went low carb and fucked it all up. Way harder to do a ride like that when you body is fat adapted. You can do a huge egg, bacon and cheese breakfast, but around mile 25 you need to break the seal on carbs and that messes you up.

I use a Garmin and then upload to Strava. I find that I generally lose .01 or .02 in the conversion so the anal-retentive in me tends to want to go a few tenths over because I hate doing 18.01 miles and getting 17.99 on Strava.

Decent brand, probably well spec’d, but what really matters is whether it is the right size. The wrong size is never a good deal, no matter how cheap it is.

Biggest regret was getting to the summit of Surisan and started to puke, couldn’t get the camera to someone fast enough and tell him to get a picture of my masterful display. You are all spared, rejoice.

That was Sinwolsan. Yeah, did Bundang once, I don't think I made it to the second graveyard. I was nursing a really bad soju hangover and someone had a mechanical so I switched bikes and let them finish the ride while I limped back to the trailhead. Probably only got ~8-10 miles on that ride but it is all a haze now.

I saw the real deal when riding in Korea once: Guy rides with his kid on the trails all the time and the kid loved it. More importantly the climbs had me wheezing, they were epic, so I am not sure how he got up with that weight behind him. Props to dad for giving it a go. Here's an example of the climbing for this trail:

No need, "sexy" will get that person's attention. Once I got the "car" thing out of my system with a BMW I have become more realistic, probably more like ATXZJ. My car gets me to and from the trailhead and that is about it.

Yeah, I ride slow enough that anyone should be able to recognize me. Typically as they pass me.

That picture is illegal in 14 states 😉

Starting about 4, will circle back for the 5 pm social group.