gotdurt

Are you jealous of the delts, bruh?

I've been re-blocking those almost every ride for the last few years... it has almost become habit to stop there and start grabbing limbs etc.

I'm leaving town for the week for spring break, then I need to finish building it up. I hope to get out for a short ride at brushy the week after next, shoulders permitting. I'll keep you posed.

Fitter? Yea, me too, that was a while ago... single speed, even. As for EBD, I know that exact feeling. Or at least I remember it, because I haven't ridden in weeks.

It's one of those mind over matter obstacles, really.

We should have taken a pic of it, it got gouged up pretty good... wonder if they retired it already?

peugeot They also tend to be really proud of their bikes these days, thanks to the internet. Kudos to that guy for making it work these days, pawn shops just don't often have flippable deals like they did 30+ years ago.

Haha, me too, but it's a medium...

It finally made it! First impressions: welds and build look really good, better than expected, but finish work could use a little improvement (on par with what I had been reading from others), but this isn't about finish details, especially since my original plan was to order a bare-metal frame. I will also say that I gave him a challenge with the "Geronimo" font, and was aware that it might not work well (looks good in photos, but up close has some issues)... Once I get it built-up, I'll measure geo, etc and see how close to the mark he came...

Ho Chi and Cambodia, those were the days. It had some really fun stuff until around '92/93.

After weeks in Peru customs (we assume) and a few short days in US customs, it has finally been set free and moving...

I've ordered quite a bit internationally over the years (especially from CRC), and have never experienced customs issues... aren't they supposed to notify me if and why it is being held? I hope this doesn't end up costing me more money...

Hahaha! Okay, now I know what this is about, I've been hit! He's just a typical YT troll though, no harm.

Well... he said it usually takes 1-2 weeks to the USA... that was almost 2 weeks ago, and it appears it's still sitting at a facility in Peru: Not sure why they had to process it through the facility twice, lol, but there it sits; 2 weeks of "pre-shipment". The last scan was 8 days ago though, so maybe it's moving... I have had experiences with the USPS before where the package never appeared to ship, then one day it just shows up... guess they somehow drop the ball on tracking, but this time... I don't know. Looking for a way to inquire about it...

I record for many reasons: memories (who knows when I'll get back, and we had a good time... and fun crashes!), studying lines and mistakes, catching things you didn't notice while riding, and a preview for those that are interested in going (I look for vids all the time, for this purpose). As for previews, not everyone can relate to a trail by watching a preview at a pro's speed, or someone who is reeeallly slow... and others can; for a given trail, I'll look at faster riders, and riders like me, and learn the various potential lines, hazards, etc. Haha, go ride Stinger/Rotor smoke and see how steep it really is (it doesn't look nearly as steep as it is, but sliding is always an indicator)... when it's dry and dusty, you have no choice but to slide; it's either slide or roll, nothing in between... and sooo much fun.

It qualifies as art more than some of the other stuff I've seen in recent years (coming for someone with an art degree)... and it makes more sense than the stupid fake animal prints and fossils... Yea... leave it.

That reminds me, Greg and I were really surprised that the chairs didn't have safety bars... seems like a serious liability, especially with kids... then on the last ride up I looked over at a passing chair and saw that they actually do have the bars, so I looked up and there it was... I just assumed that since no one was using them, they weren't there, in fact some parks will pull the bars down for you after you sit down. So, if you take kids, the bars are there, just a little harder to reach than other chairs I've been on.

Definitely.

Definitely, like I mentioned earlier, it's ideal for kids and newbs, probably more suitable than most greens I've experienced at parks; it's a true green. What's also good about it is that it's slow enough that you won't have to worry about kids getting clobbered by people over-riding it.

As long as you have realistic expectations, then yes, I think everyone really needs to check it out. I didn't really count the runs, guessing 9 or 10 from about10am-2pm, but we stopped a little early when my shoulders and wrist really started talking to me and Greg's brakes were getting wonky. They close at 5, so if you start early and hit the lift when it opens, then ride to close, I'd guess you could double that without too many long breaks.

[queue theme song: "Everything is Awesome!"] Mood: Happy thoughts, sparkles, hearts, rainbows and unicorns! Only if you read it with a glass-half-empty attitude, looking for criticism... after re-reading, I don't even see any true complaints, and the rotator cuff comment was toungue-in-cheek (although some can relate and should know about it). It seems that there is a group of people (not just on this forum) that are projecting their own negativity onto others, only because others might see things for what they really are, all for the sake of drama. Pretty much everyone I've talked to directly feels almost exactly the same way about their experience at SM. When a product is created, people are going to judge it... what would you want me to say...? With that said, my overall feeling was positive, and if you actually read what I said, I think that translates. There's always room for improvement. You also know me well enough to know that I have a matter-of-fact, tongue-in-cheek nature, and I'm not going to sugar coat anything... I gave an honest review, based on my experience; I felt it was mostly positive, and wanted others who haven't been yet to know exactly what to expect, and should someone from Spider Mt come along and see it, they would get an honest review that might help them. That's positive. Bottom line, some people (myself included) want to hear realistic thoughts and experiences, in addition to the Pollyanna enduro-bro stoke. Likewise, businesses and investors with a lot to lose want to see and hear what their target customers have to say about their experience (speaking as a business owner myself). I don't even expect a certain state of repair; I actually enjoy deterioration. Honestly, I can't even think of anything I would change on the existing trails... just some thoughts on what I'd like to see for new trails to come. Selfishly, I'd love to see lift racks more like those found at other bike parks, but I'll find a way to adjust if that never happens.

Oh, and if you have rotator cuff issues, you're going to hate the bike hook system on the lift...

Okay, checked out Spider Mt with Ganderson today, and here's my take, for anyone interested: We did the green (Itsy Bitsy) first; honestly I was wishing I could start over and do something else. Too much pedaling in order to make it fun at all... BUT... that's exactly what makes it ideal for kids and total newbs; some other parks I've been to had a lot of "greens" that I would hesitate taking kids or newbs on, so good on them for that. We hit it expecting it to be more of a fun warm up like big mountain greens tend to be, but it is a legit beginner trail. The blue (Viper's Den) was pretty good at first but got boring after 5 or so runs (for us). It's a mild jumpy-bermy trail, so those that like that stuff will probably wear it out. The double black, "Stinger" (AKA Rotor Smoke) was a blast; steep, fun features, and while sketchy, it was fun sketch. But, as a result of the consistent steepness, short. It also sucked when I started getting fatigued😛. It'll take me a few more runs down it though to find all the best lines and make the most of it. The black... "Sticky Icky", was sketchier than Stinger, IMO, and not good sketch. I think there are better lines through the off-camber stuff, I just kept ending up in the bad lines, and due to its nature, you can't easily hop lines there. If Stinger is double black (and I'd say it is, compared to other parks), then I'd say this one qualifies as 1.75 black... so round up. IMO, they need a legit black; something like "Viper's Den" in steepness (and thus length, too), but with the tech of "Stinger". Unfortunately, we totally forgot about the 1/2 blue (Venom), which is accessible from the green... I'll go back and hit it when they get another trail or 2. Everything was super dusty and slippery though; it would be a lot more fun a day after a rain.

IMO, before you waste too much mental energy on this, give it a go on your Primer first, I think you'll be surprised a how well the mid-range travel will work, especially on a 29er. Just increasing fork travel 10-20mm (thereby also slackening the HA .5-1 deg) can be all you need to turn it into a competent descender. That is, unless you just want an excuse to buy a new bike; if so, then understood

Maybe everyone is checking out Spider Mt...