RonSurly

On 10/29/2022 at 7:38 AM, mack_turtle said:

here's the custom bike I am sitting on right now. it's basically a steel Specialised Fuse, medium size. all the dimensions are a nod to modern trends, but not extreme: longer reach than an XC bike so I can use a short stem, mid-travel fork 120-130mm, slack-ish HTA, adjustable sliding dropouts with a range of 420-435mm so I can tension a singlespeed drivetrain and experiment if I want a longer wheelbase, short seat tube so I can use a long dropper post, low stack. subdued teal pain with bright blue.

for another $150, I can get a matching steel fork

 

A friend has been considering building a backpacking-type bike from them, so if we do this, we'll ship two frames together for $150 instead of one frame for $110.

I’m experimenting with a bikes direct rigid single speed 27.5 plus bike. The numbers are close to what you’re looking for 67.5 ha 73 seat 430 reach 435 cs. I installed 3.0 knards tubeless a short stem and I think I’m now sold on rigid plus 27.5 now! 

1 hour ago, CBaron said:

 

 

All my heroes are are packing it in....I feel like I'm about to enter the movie Cocoon.  Next thing you know @Hakalugi will be running dropper posts...

Aw come on in the waters nice 😂

35 minutes ago, mack_turtle said:

Full disclosure: just turned 40 and I feel like I should adopt gears and suspension. I've only briefly experimented with gears and never owned a bike with rear squish. Most people treat themselves when they reach a special birthday. I went hiking at Pedernales Falls SP.

I might be able to convince myself that I'm worth the expense. My wife would not recover from the laughing fit she'd suffer if I told her how much a bike like that costs, so I need another source of stoke in the meantime. I keep telling myself that when I get a raise, I can do it, and then the cost of living shoots up my nose and it's back to just maintaining the same bike with hand-me-down parts and DIY damper service. I just bled the FIT4 on my 2016 Fox fork rather than drop $200 on such an old fork.

Expressing this is really whiney, but after all these years of trying to advance my career with night school that goes nowhere makes me want to just take up hiking and forget it. Hence my loss of stoke.

Hey you don’t have to buy a $5k or more bike to have fun. I bought a low end Fuji Outland then later upgraded the fork, drive train and added a dropper. No complaints, check out the Austin Bike farm.

25 minutes ago, sherpaxc said:

42 here.  I've now fully embraced the full suspension (for real trails).  I FINALLY found one that I liked.  Yeti SB5.  My back thanked me immensely.  Still have the hardtail, and the road bike, and the gravel bike.  But for Austin, it's Yeti season.  

Sherpa! Haha yeah I retired the rigid single speed a couple of years ago. Now it’s FS and gears only!

1 hour ago, RedRider3141 said:

Rode SN/ Church Last night, as always very enjoyable but this extension and the new paved trail is always on my mind. That being said, it was BUSY yesterday. Large spectrum of users too, Old, Young, Walkers, Runners, Dogs, Bikes, eBikes, Roadies, Gravel(ers).

Ninja also!?  I tried riding walnut Sunday afternoon, wow, was busiest I’ve ever seen it. Parking lots full, multiple hikers on every segment of trail. One guy thought he was getting out of the way and stood on the lip of the jump? Has me rethinking when/if there is a good low traffic time now at walnut 

Gorilla tape, looks bad/messy but it’s hidden under the tire. 

I’m new to the video game, this one’s rough, the plan is to improve. Critiques welcome. My thoughts now after this one, little too long, some clips too short, needs another off bike camera angle and maybe a full face helmet with chin mount angle would be better instead of top of helmet. 
 

20 hours ago, The Tip said:

The Razor's Edge segment at Lake Georgetown. I have yet to see a picture from atop that huge cliff that conveys how dramatic a view it really is.

Indeed, I strung together a short 8 mile loop there that my gps says is worth ~1600ft ascent total, not too shabby 

https://www.paulcomp.com/

27 minutes ago, ATXZJ said:

As much as I've bitched about my ENVE wheels, i can say that after over four years of use, I've never had to retension.  @Chiefswapped out the rear hub a couple years ago and he was able to reuse the same DT bladed spokes. Never touched the front. I'm a bit under 200# kitted and not shy of bashing about, including some pretty harsh rim/tire bottoming with the new tire insert. 

Would I buy ENVE again? No. If i really, really wanted to buy carbon again, I'd probably do Santa Cruz as they have a great warranty policy and will most likely be around decades from now. Otherwise, DT aluminum all the way. IMHO, other than lack of maintenance carbon has very little to offer me other than expensive rim decals. 

 

I’m all about low maintenance and longevity. Lighter weight and stiffness is a plus too. I’ve always considered aluminum rims a consumable item and have never reused a rim on another hub. 

Man you guys have sold me on carbon rims now, been resistant. But I guess this will be my next upgrade 

something doesn’t smell right

Manuals are good for maintaining or assisting increasing speed through dips/undulating terrain (watch a BMX race). Effectively rear suspension is increased by your legs, very cool. On flat it’s all for the steez 

I also have been noticing more and more eMtbs on the trails. But it’s been pretty much a nonissue, no negatives that I’ve encountered. I’m actually sold on owning one as a 2nd mtb once the used market is full after covid. 

2 hours ago, ATXZJ said:

Nice! where is this? 

Suburban ninja 

Started rolling some continental 2.3 cross kings f/r, awesome on the pavement enroute to trail and just enough grip off-road.