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Grateful Dude

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May 30, 2016
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26"s or 29"s?

Broke out my Old steel frame Salsa(29er) and went up a hill last night, need to get in biking shape...legs are tight and a bit sore today
Nice!

My bikes are both 29ers. Love those big ol wagon wheels.

26ers are still around, but less common these days. There is also an in between size now, and lots of people run 27.5 wheels. For my style and type of trail I like to ride, 29er is king.
 

Grateful Dude

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May 30, 2016
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This is my neighbourhood.
That's awesome man, having so much trail nearby. Based on your location, I bet that when you go explore the rest of those trails you'll find some real gems. Looks like you could string together some killer rides with all of those options.
 

La Paix

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La Paix @BirdWatcher

I think it was you that posted about these a while back....do you remember the Revolution Suspension grips?
Revolution Suspension Grips

I've been thinking about trying a set. They are pricey, but at the rate I blow through grips I don't think it'd be a waste. I wish I could try a pair in person before purchasing though. If the marketing is to be believed, I like the idea of these grips and am curious to see how they work. I think these would be beneficial on bike trips where I'm riding hard multiple days in a row. Those trips also include a lot of DH time, so the relief of hand fatigue sounds nice in that scenario.
Ya those are them. All the marketing has me liking them but I don't know anybody personally who has used them. They around $90US? I just need somebody to give me an honest review before I out the money up. My arm pump is what gets me first on DH days.
 

Grateful Dude

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May 30, 2016
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Ya those are them. All the marketing has me liking them but I don't know anybody personally who has used them. They around $90US? I just need somebody to give me an honest review before I out the money up. My arm pump is what gets me first on DH days.
Yeah, they're $90US. But, you can replace the rubber grip part for $30 when they wear out (which is about what I pay for the grips I use). The rest of the money is for the aluminum bar end caps, lock on clamps, etc. All individual parts are replaceable which I think is cool, and there are different elastomers you can use for adjustment (soft or firm). I like the metal bar end caps, I shred grips on trees a lot and the plastic ones always break or fall out.

I like the idea behind these grips, and a little dampening on handlebars sounds good in theory. And I also like the adjustability and options they present (I nerd out fine tuning everything on my bike). I'm going to look for some reviews and see what the consensus is.
 

La Paix

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I picked up a roadie today, 2012 Specialized Secteur in really nice shape. I'll use it as a computer around town and do longer rides on weekends when I'm too lazy to load my MTN bike in the truck. I always forget how smooth and quick those bikes are. I'll post a pic tomorrow if I remember.

Also I find some cool sites for some customization.

Exactly as it sound, sticker company that'll put you name and flag if you like on a sticker to out on your bike lol.

Names on Frames












Custom headset caps. Literally anything you can think they'll make. Stainless, aluminum, carbon fiber, painted, engraved...

Full Colour Headset Caps













Another custom caps site.

Customizable Caps
 
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Hey L @The Pink Panther and @blank

Have you been riding at all lately?

Tis the season ;)
Oh yeah, there's a bike park about an hour from me AND foothills with pa-lenty of rocky carnage.
May was a washout cause it didn't rain for a total of 5 days.
June was awesome and I got off 2-3 rides/week.
Did one ride yesterday and might get in one more outing but then I'm away for most of July and August.
 

Grateful Dude

TMMAC Addict
May 30, 2016
8,925
14,261
I picked up a roadie today, 2012 Specialized Secteur in really nice shape. I'll use it as a computer around town and do longer rides on weekends when I'm too lazy to load my MTN bike in the truck. I always forget how smooth and quick those bikes are. I'll post a pic tomorrow if I remember.

Also I find some cool sites for some customization.

Exactly as it sound, sticker company that'll put you name and flag if you like on a sticker to out on your bike lol.

Names on Frames












Custom headset caps. Literally anything you can think they'll make. Stainless, aluminum, carbon fiber, painted, engraved...

Full Colour Headset Caps













Another custom caps site.

Customizable Caps
Right on, man! Have you taken the roadie out for a spin yet? Post some pics :D

I like those custom caps, I'm going to look into those. The first site has metal bar end caps too, which I like much better than plastic ones. Thanks for the links!
 

Grateful Dude

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May 30, 2016
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Oh yeah, there's a bike park about an hour from me AND foothills with pa-lenty of rocky carnage.
May was a washout cause it didn't rain for a total of 5 days.
June was awesome and I got off 2-3 rides/week.
Did one ride yesterday and might get in one more outing but then I'm away for most of July and August.
Awesome man, sounds like you've been getting a good amount of saddle time in. What's the bike park like? Are the trails better there, or in the foothills? It's good to have options like that :D. May was rainy here as well, messed up a lot of my riding plans.

Are you travelling in July/August? Anywhere that you can rent a bike an go explore and discover some new trail?
 
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Awesome man, sounds like you've been getting a good amount of saddle time in. What's the bike park like? Are the trails better there, or in the foothills? It's good to have options like that :D. May was rainy here as well, messed up a lot of my riding plans.

Are you travelling in July/August? Anywhere that you can rent a bike an go explore and discover some new trail?
I'll give you a detailed rundown to your first questions.
The Beskidy foothills are enjoyable for their scenery but the trails have lots of shifting rockfall. Of course, the local hiking/biking trails can get a bit easier or difficult but if they could be averaged out into one picture, this would be it imo:

For me, that kind of stuff is really tricky, especially with hikers who, sensibly, move to the side where footing is best for them when bikes are coming at them downhill. Climbing on it requires the open setting.
I've mostly avoided those trails this season and been going to the bike park/single track trail system. The adventure aspect of exploration isn't there but the ride quality improves.

Here are 2 of the 4 tracks I've done at one of the bike parks (as far as bike parks go, it's the only one I've ever been to). It's usually a 6-8 km climb to the top depending on where you park or a $9 ticket on the gondola. I've never taken the gondola because I figure I should be able to use the bike in both directions, but, I'll tell ya, it feels like the descents would be different if I did.
Anyhow, (I have no idea why I'm giving this so much time) I have nothing to do with the video but having ridden that trail a few times, I can say a person only has to watch a minute or so from the first 5, 7, and 9 min segments to get what it's all about. The first few seconds are typical of the area.
It's a blue.

The next one is not me either but that's about how I manage it overall.
Honestly though, after just the first minute on it, the trail becomes so jarring that it appears as a a series of shaky suggestions...that probably means I got to work on something ;)
The areas between 4:00-6:00 are the hardest for me (especially 5:18), and I have crashed there at least twice when trying anything except plowing through it.
It's a red:
 

La Paix

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Right on, man! Have you taken the roadie out for a spin yet? Post some pics :D

I like those custom caps, I'm going to look into those. The first site has metal bar end caps too, which I like much better than plastic ones. Thanks for the links!


I got some plans for her. Ordered some gumwall tires today and I plan to put on classic tan leather bar wraps and get a saddle to match. Leather and metal baby.
 

Grateful Dude

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May 30, 2016
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Hey man, sorry for the slow response...had family visiting over the holiday and forgot to respond. I do appreciate you taking the time to type up a response to the questions I asked.

For me, that kind of stuff is really tricky,
I ride a couple of local trails similar to that, where there are lots of hikers and lots of loose rocks scattered. It's always evolving and I have to stay alert. We're usually flying downhill, and one wrong move or hitting the wrong loose rock can go badly quick!

I've never taken the gondola because I figure I should be able to use the bike in both directions, but, I'll tell ya, it feels like the descents would be different if I did
Respect! We always say that the ride up is the price for the downhill reward at the end ;). I totally do the same thing, but gondolas are fun too, and you're right - the downhills would be different if you were fresh. That Rock-n-Rolla trail looks like a lot of fun!

Honestly though, after just the first minute on it, the trail becomes so jarring that it appears as a a series of shaky suggestions...that probably means I got to work on something ;)
This Cygan trail also looks killer! Sure there may be something to work on, but maybe you just need more shock travel :D. How much travel does your bike have now front and rear? Just as an example, if you're running a 100mm rear travel bike, that trail would feel totally different of your were on a 140-150mm bike. I'm running a 120mm rear now, but I think my next bike will be 140 or 150. They have those longer travel bikes figured out now to where they still climb excellent and can be "all-day-in-the saddle" bikes. 140 used to be considered a full DH rig.

Thanks for posting those videos, I'd love to ride those trails! Glad you've been getting out a lot, looks like you have some great options available.
 

Grateful Dude

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May 30, 2016
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I got some plans for her. Ordered some gumwall tires today and I plan to put on classic tan leather bar wraps and get a saddle to match. Leather and metal baby.
Oooh nice! I like the idea of the gumwalls and leather....that's going to look sweet! Which saddle are you looking at? A lot of people swear by those Brooks saddles, but I've never had one. I ride with a dude that is an absolute animal (he only rides a singlespeed and kicks all of our asses on the regular), and he rides a Brooks.
 
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How much travel does your bike have now front and rear?
130/120
I am considering spacers for the rear cause the fork seems up to the task. I have yet to find a real sweet spot on the rear shock. I used the ride-9 to go slack for lighter riders and apparently that changes how the suspension behaves (it was already confusing enough before having to figure out if it's more linear or progressive). Bottom line though is it dropped the bb, added some length and slacked out the ht by 1/2 degree.

You're totally right about the temptation to go 140 on both ends with a 29er.
Can't you keep your frame and just swap out for a new fork and shock?
We're usually flying downhill, and one wrong move or hitting the wrong loose rock can go badly quick!
Yeah, I'm very conscious of that. I broke my shoulder a few years back when my bike suddenly disappeared under me. It was my first big crash and was shocked at how there had just been no way to prepare, brace, or otherwise react. What speeds do you get up to on that kind of terrain?
 

La Paix

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What speeds do you get up to on that kind of terrain?
Sorry to butt in here but I love going fast and am curious about others speeds. Top speed on my road bike was 75kph and that's on a decent hill but all pedaling. When I'm due for a new cassette I want a bit more top speed and climbing and my goal is to hit 80kph.

Snowboarding I got up to 70kph

I'm going to Sun Peaks I'm Kamloops this weekend for MTN DH and will measure.

You guys all use Strava? Great app to have all theses stats
 

Never_Rolled

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130/120
I am considering spacers for the rear cause the fork seems up to the task. I have yet to find a real sweet spot on the rear shock. I used the ride-9 to go slack for lighter riders and apparently that changes how the suspension behaves (it was already confusing enough before having to figure out if it's more linear or progressive). Bottom line though is it dropped the bb, added some length and slacked out the ht by 1/2 degree.

You're totally right about the temptation to go 140 on both ends with a 29er.
Can't you keep your frame and just swap out for a new fork and shock?

Yeah, I'm very conscious of that. I broke my shoulder a few years back when my bike suddenly disappeared under me. It was my first big crash and was shocked at how there had just been no way to prepare, brace, or otherwise react. What speeds do you get up to on that kind of terrain?
Do you ever watch Sick Biker videos? I think he might have changed his Youtube channel name.
 

Grateful Dude

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May 30, 2016
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Bottom line though is it dropped the bb, added some length and slacked out the ht by 1/2 degree.
In theory, that's a solid modification. Should have made it more stable on the DH/technical stuff. As long as it didn't make climbing worse, that was a good move.
Can't you keep your frame and just swap out for a new fork and shock?
For the front, yes, but not for the rear. If you have a 120mm rear bike, I bet you could easily run a 140mm fork (that's how mine is 140 front/120 rear). But the amount rear travel is usually tied to how the frame is made (i.e. can't just put a longer shock on, the frame most likely can't handle it without messing up the linkage geometry).

Yeah, I'm very conscious of that. I broke my shoulder a few years back when my bike suddenly disappeared under me. It was my first big crash and was shocked at how there had just been no way to prepare, brace, or otherwise react. What speeds do you get up to on that kind of terrain?
I've been there too many times....it sucks! I've had a number of crashes over the years where it is all over before I even realized what happened. Depending on foot and bike traffic, I bet I could hit somewhere in the 20-30 mph range (40-50? in kph?). If there is trail traffic, it would for sure be slower than that though. With trails like that, the line you choose to follow is super important. One line may be lightning fast and smooth-ish, but if you try a different line on the same trail it may get sketchy. Sometimes it actually feels easier when going faster as you tend to just plow and roll right over things. There is a saying that "speed is control". That is true a lot of times, but when it goes bad, it happens fast! Speed isn't always the answer, but some things are harder when going slow. After my back surgery, I am trying to think about self-preservation more these days. I don't need any more big, nasty crashes where I'm laid up for months. I try to stay within my comfort zone more :D
 
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Sorry to butt in here but I love going fast and am curious about others speeds. Top speed on my road bike was 75kph and that's on a decent hill but all pedaling. When I'm due for a new cassette I want a bit more top speed and climbing and my goal is to hit 80kph.

Snowboarding I got up to 70kph

I'm going to Sun Peaks I'm Kamloops this weekend for MTN DH and will measure.

You guys all use Strava? Great app to have all theses stats
There aren't many places I know well enough that I can confidently let off the brakes for very long. My top on my mtb was 60 something kph but it was on a very predictable short stretch, my records show I have a tendency to ease on the brakes once I go over 50kph.

So you're climbing at 75kph? How the hell is that even possible?
 

Grateful Dude

TMMAC Addict
May 30, 2016
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Sorry to butt in here but I love going fast and am curious about others speeds. Top speed on my road bike was 75kph and that's on a decent hill but all pedaling. When I'm due for a new cassette I want a bit more top speed and climbing and my goal is to hit 80kph.

Snowboarding I got up to 70kph

I'm going to Sun Peaks I'm Kamloops this weekend for MTN DH and will measure.

You guys all use Strava? Great app to have all theses stats
oooh, I can't wait to see what speeds you hit there :D

I used to use Strava religiously, but haven't for several years now. I do sometimes miss nerding out on all the stats though, it is a useful too for that.
 
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For the front, yes, but not for the rear. If you have a 120mm rear bike, I bet you could easily run a 140mm fork (that's how mine is 140 front/120 rear). But the amount rear travel is usually tied to how the frame is made (i.e. can't just put a longer shock on, the frame most likely can't handle it without messing up the linkage geometry).
Right, I forgot I have the ride-9 system and that "might" allow it.
I've been there too many times....it sucks! I've had a number of crashes over the years where it is all over before I even realized what happened. Depending on foot and bike traffic, I bet I could hit somewhere in the 20-30 mph range (40-50? in kph?). If there is trail traffic, it would for sure be slower than that though. With trails like that, the line you choose to follow is super important. One line may be lightning fast and smooth-ish, but if you try a different line on the same trail it may get sketchy. Sometimes it actually feels easier when going faster as you tend to just plow and roll right over things. There is a saying that "speed is control". That is true a lot of times, but when it goes bad, it happens fast! Speed isn't always the answer, but some things are harder when going slow. After my back surgery, I am trying to think about self-preservation more these days. I don't need any more big, nasty crashes where I'm laid up for months. I try to stay within my comfort zone more :D
Oh yeah, I totally get that with speed and control and you're right about it making a lot of things easier. At those points, it feels like there isn't a lot of rider input :D. I wear a half-shell, gloves and no armour. That area of the Beskidy is notorious for making people rethink their desire to mountain bike, I'd want a min 140/140 before I invest more trust in speed than I already do....and maybe a full-face, y'know, in the interest of self-preservation.
 

La Paix

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There aren't many places I know well enough that I can confidently let off the brakes for very long. My top on my mtb was 60 something kph but it was on a very predictable short stretch, my records show I have a tendency to ease on the brakes once I go over 50kph.

So you're climbing at 75kph? How the hell is that even possible?
Not climbing, no way. I mean I'm going down a hill (road) but it's my pedaling that's getting my speed up. I could coast around 50kph or whatever but I crank my ass off and see what speeds I can get.

This is from a ride last week. My max of 75 is on a different route and I had a different bike at the time.





Fastest I can see going back through my DH is 66kph. I'll do my best to beat that this weekend.