circuitbreaker Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 Santa Cruz Demo - BSS Parmer Sunday Mar 22 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm https://www.bicyclesportshop.com/event|santa-cruz-demo-3|1358 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted March 15, 2022 Share Posted March 15, 2022 (edited) Any other demo days coming up? Is there a consolidated calendar of such things? Bikes are expensive and I don't wanna consider buying something that I've not ridden. Edited March 15, 2022 by mack_turtle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATXZJ Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 Depends on the manufacturer. If you have a bike in mind they usually post their schedule on the site. Now, what are you in the market for😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBaron Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 Every day seems to be demo day if you happen to be interested in anything Velorangutan sells. @xl_cheese has a pretty permissive demo policy and I think they have a decent assortment of options. Outerbike would be a bit more complicated but could be made into a fun MTB getaway with a ton of demos thrown in. I attended the one in Bentonville a few yrs ago. It rained every day. 😞 Later, CJB 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 (edited) I have zero interest in a FS bike, and all the demo bikes I've seen listed are purely FS. I'd love to take a spin on a somewhat modern hardtail like a Chameleon or a Honzo. Consistent with my style, nothing makes me happy. I might need to consider something like Outerbike as my only opportunity. Edited March 16, 2022 by mack_turtle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 1 hour ago, mack_turtle said: Consistent with my style, nothing makes me happy. Have you considered that maybe you just don't like bicycles? Can I show you something in a nice Onewheel? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 (edited) 11 minutes ago, Barry said: Have you considered that maybe you just don't like bicycles? Can I show you something in a nice Onewheel? On a serious note, I seem to have lost my stoke. Haven't touched a bike in over a month. I thought trying something new might help me find it again. You might be right. Edited March 16, 2022 by mack_turtle 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATXZJ Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 28 minutes ago, mack_turtle said: On a serious note, I seem to have lost my stoke. Haven't touched a bike in over a month. I thought trying something new might help me find it again. You might be right. Living in switchback-ledge-utopia can do that to a person. Road trip might be in order. My advice would be to try and demo a revel ranger from @xl_cheese if possible. I like hard tails as much as the next guy but once you hit your 40s a little suspension is nice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 3 hours ago, mack_turtle said: On a serious note, I seem to have lost my stoke. Haven't touched a bike in over a month. I thought trying something new might help me find it again. You might be right. I've been in a bike funk for 2 months! Attending the R&I last night made a big difference. For me it has been a combination of being extremely busy at work and having several home projects going on at the same time and my primary bike being out of commission. I decided to not let the bike funk stress me out and just go with the flow, get projects done and do what I feel like doing instead of forcing things. I got that bit of wisdom from @CBaron since he described going through something similar a few years back and he became a runner. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St.Bernardo Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 7 hours ago, mack_turtle said: I have zero interest in a FS bike, and all the demo bikes I've seen listed are purely FS. I'd love to take a spin on a somewhat modern hardtail like a Chameleon or a Honzo. Consistent with my style, nothing makes me happy. I might need to consider something like Outerbike as my only opportunity. I was kind of in no-man's land for bikes too. Recently picked up a 2021 Ritchey Ascent. 90's mtb geometry with room for 110/148 spacing and 29x2.6 tires. My happy place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRider3141 Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 On 3/16/2022 at 7:31 AM, mack_turtle said: I'd love to take a spin on a somewhat modern hardtail like a Chameleon or a Honzo. I've been watching demos for a while now and hardtails are never in the demo fleets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBaron Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 (edited) On 3/16/2022 at 1:08 PM, AntonioGG said: Attending the R&I last night made a big difference. ....instead of forcing things. I got that bit of wisdom from @CBaron since he described going through something similar ... Yeah and in some ways I'm in a mini-funk again after my crash back in October. I feel like the key is to 'know yourself'. And I know that I'm sentisitve to the seasonal changes in the year. Once the days get short and weather gets cold I find myself getting a little melancholy. WRT the bike and my personal life. So I have to find ways to trick myself into riding. For me, a like being around people, so that means more group rides (R&I, C&D, TnT, Bagel ride, etc..) Additionally, in the middle of a cold winter when a warm 'blue bird' day pops up, I'll take the day off work and go riding in the middle of a nice warm beautiful day. It really helps to restore me. What @AntonioGG is referencing, is that the few times I've really thought about being done with the bike/cycling, I've simply walked away for a while and tried something else. I moved into the MX world for about 3 yrs at one point....I tried trail running for many months. But eventually, I come back to my 1st love and find that my return is usually with vigor. If I FORCE myself to ride against my desire/urges not to, then I find myself loathing in the situation. I know this all may sound strange, but like I said, you've gotta know yourself. And sometimes I can be a head-case! LOL Good news for me is that the warm weather is knocking at the door and that is when I really start to get rejuvenated with the season change! Good luck in your endeavor. CJB PS- I'm a dedicated hardtail guy and I've got a M/L Trek Stache you are welcome to demo for a weekend if you want to try some 'strange'. Seriously, take me up on it if you'd like Edited March 22, 2022 by CBaron 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherpaxc Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 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. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonSurly Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherpaxc Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 1 hour ago, RonSurly said: Sherpa! Haha yeah I retired the rigid single speed a couple of years ago. Now it’s FS and gears only! Yep. Me too. Oh well. It was a good run while it lasted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 (edited) 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. Edited March 23, 2022 by mack_turtle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonSurly Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 (edited) more dangerous self-disclosure: i've been pursuing a certificate in UX design. I don't have time to ride my bike because I've spent every waking moment with this course for the past two months. I don't have the certificate yet, but what I do have, after covering the first five months of what is supposed to be a six-month course in six weeks, is a string of tension headaches, a sleep disorder, and probably a panic attack. as a bonus, I have discovered that I'm really bad at it. but i'm so close to finishing that I'm going to see it through. I realized recently that I was making more money in 2008 than I am now, and I'm trying to make up for the past decade + of missed opportunities. if that means not riding for a few weeks, I hope it does not break me in the process. Edited March 23, 2022 by mack_turtle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bestbike85 Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 My name is Bestbike85, and I have only ridden my bicycle 10 hours this year. Sad reality. New job, baby on the way, figuring out where/how to buy a bigger house. Messy messy reality that put bikes on the back burner. I would enjoy a kick ass demo day though, so anyone who finds one keep us posted. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBaron Posted March 24, 2022 Share Posted March 24, 2022 7 hours ago, RonSurly said: Sherpa! Haha yeah I retired the rigid single speed a couple of years ago. Now it’s FS and gears only! 5 hours ago, sherpaxc said: Yep. Me too. Oh well. It was a good run while it lasted! 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... 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonSurly Posted March 24, 2022 Share Posted March 24, 2022 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 😂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATXZJ Posted March 24, 2022 Share Posted March 24, 2022 (edited) @mack_turtle Was having this discussion with a late 30s millennial friend of mine this week. You guys got particularly fukt, and still are to this day. As a parent of zoomers, I can only imagine what they're going to be up against. Not great. On the bright side, you own a home in one of the most overvalued real estate markets in the USA. Sell that bitch, buy a full sus bike and GTFO. Welcome to middle aged. We've been waiting for you😁 Edited March 24, 2022 by ATXZJ 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherpaxc Posted March 24, 2022 Share Posted March 24, 2022 10 hours ago, ATXZJ said: @mack_turtle Was having this discussion with a late 30s millennial friend of mine this week. You guys got particularly fukt, and still are to this day. As a parent of zoomers, I can only imagine what they're going to be up against. Not great. On the bright side, you own a home in one of the most overvalued real estate markets in the USA. Sell that bitch, buy a full sus bike and GTFO. Welcome to middle aged. We've been waiting for you😁 Yep. Selling out/cashing out was one of the best financial decisions we ever made. @CBaron yeah, well...my body told me it was time. I still fight some back issues (going on 15 months now) but I can pretty much ride/run whenever I want and the f/s allows me to ride longer and more pain free than I would be otherwise. anyone not using a dropper at this point in time is just stubborn. Even roadies are starting to use them (and yes, I would LOVE one on my road bike). 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted March 24, 2022 Share Posted March 24, 2022 my job is in north Austin and I have to be in the office 2–3 days a week now, which is stupid. I've made a second full-time job out of finding a new job for the past six months +. custom-tuning your resume and cover letter for 10-20 job listings each week is exhausting. I've had three interviews and literally hundreds of "after careful consideration..." emails. I kept them all for a while but I was running out of storage space in my inbox. most likely, I didn't get those jobs because I am not qualified to do much of anything, but also some 22 year old straight out of college with $100K in loan debt and a degree custom-tailored for the job swooped in and took it for half the salary I was asking for. damn whipper snappers! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRider3141 Posted March 24, 2022 Share Posted March 24, 2022 17 hours ago, mack_turtle said: Full disclosure: just turned 40 and I feel like I should adopt gears and suspension 21 hours ago, sherpaxc said: 42 here. I've now fully embraced the full suspension (for real trails). I'm going the wrong way I'm approaching 40 this year and just embraced 100% Hard Tails... Maybe I'll regret that in a few years. I forget who said it here but I agree: HT after a ride: I'm sore but less tired FS after a ride: I'm not sure but I'm worn out 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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