Big_papa_nuts

Black text is near invisible when using the dark mode, FYI. I understand the advantages of carbon, but it'll never be worth the premium over aluminum to me. Even if that premium is getting smaller. I have never broken an aluminum frame, don't care about a quarter pound, don't need my bike to be stiffer, ETC. The adjustable geo, 6 bikes in one thing is cool though.

Didn't the get bought by some investment group about 2 years ago?

I know droppers are the new hot thing but the fuck I would buy a hardtail with anything bigger then a 27.2 seatpost. Bigger diameters transmit to much force and make the ride feel harsh. Anything with a Tourney drivetrain, including the 820, isn't suitable for off road use imo. Not to mention that usually means it'll have a freewheel so the axle will likely snap too.

I work in a Trek dealer and can tell you full stop the 820 is not a MTB. It's and ATB at best, and a heavy, clunky one at that. The Fuji and Spec are basically the same thing with an aluminum frame. If some one told me they wanted a sub $500 bike I'd tell them to keep saving and try to get to the $1000 price point. There are lots of great hardtails for roughly a thousand bucks. Though if they twisted my arm I'd tell them to order a Nishiki Colorado and bring it to me to properly adjust it. You could nickel and dime one of those into a really good bike that'd probably serve you for years. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tnKVG8SJmso

Been in El Paso for 4 days now. Rode Palisades Canyon day one and it was a lot of climbing and a decent amount of walking up hill for not much pay off. Honestly I'd skip it. Rode the Mini Puzzler course again. It was still awesome. We actually we're out there during the race but didn't realize it until we rolled through the start/finish a few miles in and saw the commotion. We walked up to Mundy's gap, which is part of the mountain loop, to see the eclipse. I honestly don't think I'd wanna ride up there as it's just a very steep Jeep road but if anyone who has done the loop thinks it worth it they can chime in. We rode the west side of the mountains today and I honestly think they are better then what I've rode on the east side. The guys at the Trek shop over there are awesome too. I'm gonna have to do some more research on the city itself but I think I may rather winter here then in Austin.

Any updates?

A-Fing-men. I fell in love with my Club Ride Phantom shorts a few years ago. I bought four pairs and when one blew a zipper I want to buy another. Turns out they discontinued them and none of the new ones are the same fit. I have actually spent more time.e and effort repairing the pairs I have then it like would cost to replace them. REI actually has a pair on their "used gear" site right now that I'd be all over if they weren't charging more then they did when they sold the new ones on clearance.

I bought a bunch of JIS screwdrivers for the shop when I learned this 6 or 7 years ago. Spent a decent amount of time looking for a percision driver (the one with swivel handle) to keep in my apron for quick access. Then SRAM and Shimano switched to allens on their limit screws and my screwdriver use dropped off drastically.

Stealth has been basically doing this for like 10 years now. I actually got really excited about one back when I rode Moto because I never liked the size and complexity of a gas burner. I'd have gotten an H-52 if they weren't over 10 grand. But it'd be treated like a Moto and only used on Moto trails.

I actually moved out of Austin about 8 months ago because...many reasons. The more I travel the more I think Austin might be one of the best places to live as a MTBer. Decent weather all year, 100 miles of trail accessable from many parts of town (including downtown), good food scene, stuff to do, ETC. I just need to find a garage to rent in the right part of town. But I digress.

CP's suspension guy, Tim, has moved to Cycle East. They may still do service but if you like the results you've had in the past CE may be your new go to. As a shop manager I can tell you supporting suspension service can be tough. There is just so many seal kits and fluids (usually sold out from major distros) that I'd usually have to make customers wait just so I could get small bits. This is another reason to do it yourself. You can just buy the seals and oil you need for your fork. Rock Shox are nice because you don't even need special tools.

Couldn't agree more. One of my favorite trails out there. Super chunky but unbelievable amounts of traction. Sooo fun.

As a pro mechanic I can say that manufacturer's air pressure recommendation are one of the more frustrating when it comes to helping customers with suspension tuning. Those charts don't take into account bike setup, riding style, a rider's proportions, ETC. I have been as much as 80psi off a manufacturer's recommendation to get the proper sag (then it obviously took some work to get the proper spring rate), but people will still argue when I tell them I recommend anything but what the sticker reads. Bottom line, set your sag by taking measurements and then tune your fork/shock with that as your baseline.

I was out of town so I don't know how much rain we got the other day but the dog is going mad for a run and I was hoping to take him out tomorrow. What's the word on the trails?

This is a tough one. The best campsites are in the interior of the park near the Sauceda ranger station, the the best trails are on the south east side. So if you're just going to ride for a day or two you have to deal with crappy campsites (pro tip, number 15 at Grassy Banks is a nice site), but if going for longer stay near the Sauceda station (showers, drinking water, camp store) and ride mostly Jeep roads. The west Contrabando trail system in my favorite, but the east trails are good too.

Knarps are sized to fit in brake levers but most droppers use shift cables.

Fair. I'll give it another shot this spring. My girlfriend really wants to go and honestly I've been dreading it, but if the other trails have some challenges it might be worth it.

I have to agree with RA. It's common practice on well used public trails to have feature bypass lines (PB actually already kinda has some).

I was there for a day a month ago and won't shut up about it. It's a rock crawling, corner drifting, mountain climbing good time. As far as I can tell anything in Franklin Mountains State Park should be a solid option. I rode the Mini Puzzler race loop (on MTB project) and enjoyed every second, except for the lack of trail markings.

I went in knowing I would only be able to do one ride and had herd many people talking about The Back 40 so I decided to do the whole loop. Did 22 miles in about 3 hours. Again, not impressed. There were a few fun things but there is maybe 5 miles of good trail on that whole loop IMO. It's totally possible that I just missed the best stuff. I'm actually going back next spring, on my way through, so if you have some suggestions I'll check them out. April. It'll be interesting to see what has changed when I go back. The quesadillas with backed potato is highly recommended.

I have to strongly disagree. The Back 40 had almost zero technical challenge, which is a big part of what I enjoy. It also lacked senic appeal and had very little flow, both of which would have made it better. If you like steep climbs and wide gravel trails you'll probably love The Back 40, but if I'm making a drive I'm going to El Paso where they have chunk and vistas.

Bella Vista iirc. Literally right at the trailhead, nice bathrooms, laundry facilities, and super friendly staff. I don't remember them being to expensive either. I'd spend a week there if I liked the trails more. Actually, I'd still spend a week there.

Agreed. I only spent a day there but I'd rather ride SATN or Walnut then the Back 40. Honestly I enjoyed the landfill trail in Hot Springs I did on the same trip more then the Back 40. Thought I will say the campground that's on the trails in Bentonville is something special.

It is.

The trailer was actually very stable, I mostly didn't like maneuvering in traffic, parking, backing up, stuff like that. Plus it's a pita not just having everything in one vehicle.