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olddbrider

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    Youtubiness

    in Mountain Biking Discussion

    Posted

    I check out this channel every once in a while because for some reason I find it really interesting watching them start with a chunk of steel and end up with something cool, functional, and (usually) beautiful.  I hadn't checked it out in a while and when hopped on this morning I saw that he's starting a project to build his own mountain bike.  Based on prior projects, I expect he'll make a bunch of mistakes.  But he's pretty meticulous, so it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.  Based on his experience buying grips you'll quickly see that he is a total noob.

     

    • Like 1

    Ibis Ripmo AF - Early impressions

    in Mountain Biking Discussion

    Posted

    22 hours ago, circuitbreaker said:

    can i ask how tall are you, and what size did you get?

    I'm just under 6' tall.  My problem with bike fitting is that I have a very long torso and very short legs for my height.  I did a lot of research and went with the LG, which is definitely the right size for me.  Because of my short legs, I did have to request a 150mm dropper instead of the 175mm that would typically come with the LG.  I'm glad I did, because the 150 post allows me to extend the post fully and have it just the perfect height for pedaling.  I couldn't have done that with the longer dropper post.

    Ibis Ripmo AF - Early impressions

    in Mountain Biking Discussion

    Posted

    I mentioned a while back that I had ordered an AF and a couple of folks asked if I would post a review once I had put some miles on the bike.  It's been two weeks since I picked it up and I've got 5 rides under my belt, which seems like enough to post some early impressions. The rides have been at Reveille Peak, Spider Mountain, Crystal Falls/Travisso trails, and Suburban Ninja/Christ Church twice.

    My previous bike was a 2017 Salsa Horsethief with 130mm of travel up front and 120mm in the rear.  I really liked the bike, but I wanted to get something with a bit more travel, the ability to run wider tires (2.4 was about the max the Salsa could handle), and more modern geometry (slacker HTA, steeper STA, etc.).

    I got the NX build, but have since replaced the stock stem and bars with an Anvl Swage stem and Chromag BZA carbon bars (cut down to 760mm).  I bought some Anvl Tilt pedals because they match the stem, get great reviews, and were $40 less than most other anodized pedals out there.

    I should also point out that my first 2 rides (Reveille & Suburban Ninja) were on "skinny" tires.  When my bike was built up, it was inadvertently fitted with 2.35s instead of the spec'd 2.6s.  A quick email to Wes at Velorangutan got that sorted out, but not before my first couple of rides.  I can definitely say I'm a fan of the wider tires (Hans Dampf up front, Nobby Nic in the back, both 2.6).  I feel like traction and overall ride feel are improved, and I honestly haven't noticed a difference in rolling resistance or how heavy the bike feels (it's not particularly light to begin with).

    Not surprisingly, the bike feels great going downhill.  Whether doing the enduro runs at Reveille or any of the stuff at Spider, I instantly felt more confident and comfortable on the AF.  It handles drops like a champ and really smooths out the rough stuff. I still haven't ridden the big rocky staircase at the bottom of Stinger, but it handled everything else out there with ease.  I set the suspension up according to (mostly decent) instructions on the DVO and Ibis sites and I really haven't changed them much other than letting a few PSI out of the fork because I wasn't getting full travel after my rides.  I'll probably tinker with it a bit, but to be honest I'm more of a set-it-and-forget-it kinda guy, so don't expect a deep discussion of suspension tuning from me...

    The AF has really surprised me in a couple of areas.  First, it climbs like a champ.  To be fair, some of that might have to do with going from 11spd with a 42t big cog in the back to 12spd Eagle with an 11-50 cassette. But even without the benefit of the gearing, it just feels more efficient when climbing.  Pedal bob is almost non-existent and the rear wheel stays hooked up even when on pretty chunky terrain. The steeper STA is really noticeable and puts me more over the bottom bracket instead of shifted toward the back wheel, which also helps keep the front wheel planted when climbing. The other thing that surprised me was how poppy and playful the AF is.  It's quite a bit longer than my old bike (~85mm) so I was expecting it to feel less responsive and playful.  But that hasn't been the case so far for me. After getting used to the new feel of the front wheel being farther in front of me, I feel like my jumping is better on this bike and I have found myself hitting new features or old features in different ways.

    I haven't really faced any super-technical climbing or tight switchbacks going up or down, so I can't really comment on those aspects. Having said that, based on my experience so far I'm optimistic that the AF will handle those things well.  There are some fairly chunky, twisty climbs out at Travisso and I did struggle with them at first.  I realized it was a timing issue, as I wasn't used to having to lift my front wheel as early on my old bike.  Once I got the feel of the new bike, I was able to clean most everything out there.

    All in all, I'm extremely happy with the new bike.  I was a little worried about the NX drivetrain, but so far I have no complaints. For me, the AF has (thankfully) lived up to the hype.

     

     

    • Like 3

    Different Reasons... But Another MTB Trail Closure...

    in Mountain Biking Discussion

    Posted

    55 minutes ago, RidingAgain said:


    I think it's just another indication of changing times... Mountain biking getting more popular, attracting a wider variety of people, many of whom do not hold the same core values and disposition towards the culture of mountain biking as those who've been around it longer may have.
     

    It sucks that this place is closing down as it sounds like they had a real passion for gravity and lots of potential.

    I didn't see anything in the article alluding to what you mention above.  While that seems to have been the case for Kingdom Trails, it seems like Welch Village was more a victim of competition from other trail systems than from being overrun with unruly bikers...

    "The announcement stated that Welch feels that the mountain bike operation is not able to compete with the increased number of government-funded trail systems and publicly-funded downhill bike parks in the state of Minnesota. The resort has been unable to build a customer base that would justify investing more capital into the mountain bike trails."

    • Like 1

    Brushy Creek

    in Mountain Biking Discussion

    Posted

    20 minutes ago, RidingAgain said:

    Not me... But that's a one of those old "...antiquated bikes..." he's riding...

    Looks like he's not worried, and just having funny.

    Here's what he had to say...

    "The Cannondale 4X is the kind of bike we should all be riding. It is the most versatile type of bike you could buy. I’m no XC racer but I never felt it hold me back on the climbs and while my dirt jumping skills are pathetic I had more fun and confidence on this bike then any other I’ve been on. The best thing though is that when you point it down a trail its rips. It’s not a DH bike but it feels very comfortable at speed and it can take a beating as good as any bike out there. If you are looking for a mid-travel bike the 4X should be on your short list especially if you are want something that might turn a few heads on the mountain."

    LOL... You gotta wonder about people.
     

    p4pb903192.jpg

    So... you're referencing a 14-year old article to back up your claims about your bike not being antiquated?

    I'm sure the reviews of the Model-T were glowing, but that doesn't mean it would compare favorably (in terms of performance) to any modern car.

    • Like 1
    • Haha 2

    New bike: What travel do you use for Austin trails?

    in Mountain Biking Discussion

    Posted

    On 4/18/2020 at 11:08 AM, quixoft said:

    Currently on a beginner hardtail with 100mm travel up front and I bottom out frequently on Deception in Brushy Creek. Going to a full suspension and I've chosen to pick up a Guerrilla Gravity bike to replace the hardtail and I'm trying to choose between the Smash(150mm and more all mountain/enduro) and the Trail Pistol(130mm and more XC/trail oriented).

    The Trail Pistol seems perfect for my main riding area(Brushy Creek) but I do want to start going out to Spider Mountain(never been) and get into more jumping and drops which seem to be more all mountain/enduro. 

    https://ridegg.com/products/trailpistol?option=Ride
    https://ridegg.com/products/thesmash?option=Ride

    I'm going with the base model(budget) of whichever one but I do have some room to upgrade one item. If you could only upgrade one, which would you choose? Suspension, brakes, drive, wheels?

    I am in the process of moving from a 130mm to a 160mm travel bike.  For me, it wasn't solely about travel, but also about moving from a bike with slightly outdated geometry to something with "modern" geometry.  Since you are trying to choose between 2 new bikes you really don't have the issue of modern vs. dated geometry, so it's really going to boil down to personal preference and what trade-offs you are willing to make.  Longer travel is going to be heavier, probably a bit less efficient, but is going to give you the possibility of hitting bigger features without bottoming out or stressing the limits of your suspension.  Even though I'm going to a longer travel bike, I rarely felt like I was being held back by my suspension on my old bike.  Granted, my travel indicators were maxed out after just about every ride, but I never really felt like I was bottoming out.  I love Spider and bought a season pass early on, so I've probably made 15+ trips out there over the past year.  If I was only going out there a few times a year, I certainly wouldn't worry about getting a bike that's better suited for that style of riding.

     

    As for your question about upgrading, it's hard to answer because the options you mentioned are pretty different, price-wise.  Suspension and wheels are pretty costly upgrades ($1000 range), but brakes and drive train components are relatively cheap in comparison.  Are you thinking you will upgrade from the manufacturer, or are you thinking you'll do this once you get the bike?

    Looking into new full suspension bike($4K max budget)

    in Mountain Biking Discussion

    Posted

    2 hours ago, WLemke said:

    If you're ok with an aluminum frame, I've heard and read nothing but praise for the Ibis Ripmo AF. A true climb anywhere, jump off anything trail bike. The SRAM NX build is $2,999 and the Shimano SLX build is $3,999.

    They also make a carbon version but it starts at $4,399 for the SRAM NX build.

    https://www.ibiscycles.com/bikes/ripmo-af

    I believe Cycle Progression in Central Austin in a Ibis dealer if you were to go check one out.

    I've got one of these on the way and I am hoping it lives up to the hype.  I'm coming from a Salsa Horsethief which is more of a trail bike (130/120mm) and the Ripmo AF is definitely more in the All-mountain/Enduro category.  From what I've read and watched, Ibis has always been known for making frames that are great climbers and the AF seems to be following in that tradition.  Before the lockdown, I was making 2-3 trips to Spider Mtn per month, so I wanted my next bike to be something that was better suited for that style of riding.  It also seems like just about every trail system in the area is starting to integrate more jumps, drops, and flow trails so I think this bike is going to be just the ticket.  It's a bit scary to buy a bike without even sitting on one, but with the wealth of info out there (youtube, mtbr.com, etc.) I feel pretty confident in my decision. 

    It's also true that you can often get bikes for less than MSRP.  Wes at Velorangutan gave me a great deal and all it took was a phone call...

    Brushy Creek

    in Mountain Biking Discussion

    Posted

    Welcome, quixoft!

    If you haven't already discovered this on your own, upgrading a fork can be a very expensive project.  Have you tried tuning your current fork at all?  I don't have any firsthand experience with that particular fork, but from what I can tell you've got an air spring and rebound adjustment.  Are you familiar with the concept of sag in regards to suspension?  It's basically the amount your fork (or shock) compresses under just the weight of you being on the bike.  A good starting point is typically that you should have about 25-30% sag.  If you sit on your bike and you have more sag than that, you might consider adding air to your fork to see if that helps with the bottoming out problem you described.  You might also be able to find some published settings for your fork.

     

    • Like 1

    Brushy Creek

    in Mountain Biking Discussion

    Posted

    3 hours ago, First-Blood said:

    New feature on Snail. Also improved drops run ups and widened dirt wall ride after dual drops. Go test. Needs a little ground work but very rideable as is. 803b53fe15ee231ff87167d8a459e8ce.jpg

     

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

     

     

     

     

    Is that a ramp or a landing?

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