Official MTB / Mountain Biking Chit Chat

[canadianbacon]

From my ride today. It was a bit chilly to start, but warmed up decently.

 

[rottenbelly]

Fun portion of my ride today. Some spots you don't want to mess up on.
Red canyon ridges - YouTube

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/emVf6qYTs-Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[hpiguy]

^^Well, I was gonna post up some vid from yesterday, but I got nohtin'. That was bad ass! "thumbsup" I would be riding flats on that, you're a madman!

 

[RiceBurner]

Killer video! On a Yukon FX too. I had one of those"thumbsup"

 

[OTHGbronco82]

I'm so ready for a new bike but my wallet isn't.

 

[rottenbelly]

Killer video! On a Yukon FX too. I had one of those"thumbsup"

So you know what I'm working with!! This fork is down right scary, be a ok bike with a new fork.
I upgraded the brakes to XT hydros, big help on stuff like that.

 

[RiceBurner]

So you know what I'm working with!! This fork is down right scary, be a ok bike with a new fork.
I upgraded the brakes to XT hydros, big help on stuff like that.

Yep! For sure the fork is the worst aspect of that bike. But not letting that stop you shows fortitude. I bet those brakes were a very welcome change. Ride on.

 

[hpiguy]

:lmao:

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[OTHGbronco82]

went for a ride yesterday and today. Back still hurts from work but I'm losing weight.:roll::mrgreen:

Mountain Bike Ride Profile | Warm up near Walnut | Times and Records | Strava

Mountain Bike Ride Profile | Evening ride near Walnut | Times and Records | Strava

 

[rockhugger]

^^Nice!

My new SS frame arrived today, aww yisss! :mrgreen: Soma B Side V.3 650b, Tange prestige HD tubing, Tange IRD sliding dropouts, etc. The attention to detail and fit / finish is outstanding. I chose steel for my own reasons, YMMV. Headed to the shop in the morning to start swapping parts over / add some updgrades, I can't freaking wait to ride this thing!

Even the welds are smooth as buddah

Whoa, whoa... hold the phone, What did I miss? You can't just do that, one minute your riding a happy ass nashbar 650, next minute you're droppin a Soma Sweet Steel in Go fast Orange, what happened?

Were you unhappy with the Nashbar, I haven't been keeping up on my reading since I started my new job?

and what is YMMV?

 

[rupps5]

The state mtb race season is over. Did pretty well this year in expert/vet coming in second for the series and all decided in the last race of the season out of 10 races (which puts me 5th overall in the state). Already know what I have to do training wise for 2015. Now all that is left is iceman and 3 or so cx races for fun!

 

[ped453]

^^^awesome dude congrats... We bike 217 miles over 3 days back in August in support of the MS society. It was tiring, but satisfying at the same time. I'm gonna try my hands on local MTB races next summer. Any tips on training?

 

[hpiguy]

^^Congrats to both of you guys!

Whoa, whoa... hold the phone, What did I miss? You can't just do that, one minute your riding a happy ass nashbar 650, next minute you're droppin a Soma Sweet Steel in Go fast Orange, what happened?

Were you unhappy with the Nashbar, I haven't been keeping up on my reading since I started my new job?

and what is YMMV?

LOL The Nashbar frame was a bit too small (to short of a top tube) for me to be honest, and it always felt cramped and the handling was hyper responsive (read sketchy) for lack of a better term. I had read that before purchasing, but took the gamble anyway. I still feel it was worth it, as it let me try SS and 650b both super cheaply. I moved most of my components over, and did a few upgrades as well. I absolutely love the new setup, by far my most fun bike to ride. Very stable and confidence inspiring, yet nimble and playful as hell with the short stays (16.5" :mrgreen, smooth as butter yet stiff where it needs to be. I have zero regrets in the fact that my SS probably cost more than my 29er. LOL

YMMV is your mileage may vary

Also found this, and couldn't say no, I think it sums up single speeding perfectly!

And in case you missed it, here's the completed bike

 

[rupps5]

^^^awesome dude congrats... We bike 217 miles over 3 days back in August in support of the MS society. It was tiring, but satisfying at the same time. I'm gonna try my hands on local MTB races next summer. Any tips on training?

I would work on threshold until 3 or so weeks before the event and then take a couple of threshold workouts out and add in some vo2 max workouts.

 

[RiceBurner]

The state mtb race season is over. Did pretty well this year in expert/vet coming in second for the series and all decided in the last race of the season out of 10 races (which puts me 5th overall in the state). Already know what I have to do training wise for 2015. Now all that is left is iceman and 3 or so cx races for fun!

NICE! Major accomplishment! I started racing this year and have to say its as fun/hard as anything I've done in my life. I run either marathon, or class II 40-49. So got a lot of work to do. Finished 5th in marathon east series here, next year I'll get serious. Missed a lot of races early in the year. But got a good taste of it. Hope to start next year at a whole new level. You experts are mindnumbingly fast! There's guys who will run class one pace for three hours in marathon, simply amazing! The level of fitness is superhuman.

 

[Natedog]

Wow, there's some awesome pieces of equipment in here built for way more advanced riding than I expect to be doing anytime in the near future.

None the less, I'm curriouse what advice you guys might have for an entry level rider.

Background info:
I recently started riding an old mountain bike I'v had sitting in my parents shed for a good 8+ years, to help get in shape. The more I ride tho, mostly just 2-3 mile rides around the neighborhood and an occasional trip around the park, the more I realize that it is not in the best of shape and probably not a very good fit for my now adult frame. Once I get my endurance up to pace i'd like to start venturing onto rougher terrain and be able to go on longer rides like what I see all over this thread, but I don't think my current set up could take it for long and may be fighting me in some ways.

The plan:
I'd like to buy a quality bike around the first of the year with my bonus from work and what ever extra cash I get from the holidays ect. I'v done a little research but not knowing much about bikes I don't really know what to do with the info I find.
-It looks like I should allow a budget of at least $300-$500 for a decent entry level bike.
-Multi-speed is a must
-Front suspension is a must, I think i'd like rear also if budget allows but I'm not sure if it would be worth it for what i'll be doing (mild trails, occasional drop offs)
-I like the idea of disc brakes over rim brakes, but again don't know if they would benifit me (pretty sure hydralic would be overkill)

Knowing this, what tips and thoughts do y'all have on what I want to do verses what I think I'd like to have in a bike? What are some things I should look for when shopping?

Yes, I know talking to the folks at the local bike shop would also help educate me in choosing and geting fitted to the right bike. Might go by one or two tomorrow if I have time and see what they can tell me. You can never have to much information "thumbsup"

My cousin picked up an 05 Kona Coiler for $500 bucks that was in good shape for his first mountain bike. He has taken on a few lift serviced bike parks with me this year and it's held up great. If your on a budget, looking for older used bikes is the way to go, if you want full suspension and disk brakes anyways. Otherwise there are many hardtail bikes out there in your range. I have always been a Kona fan, good bang for the buck. It's just personal preference though, there are a lot of good bike brands out there.

Anyone familiar with the Giant revel 2 model? Seems to be a nice low budget rig with good reviews, front suspension, and mechanical disk brakes. Like Metal Militia I'm not looking to run the Tour De France just want something better than a Huffy.

Revel 2 (2014) | Giant Bicycles | United States

Or the 27.5

ATX 27.5 2 (2015) | Giant Bicycles | United States

The talon is a little bit more but seems to have better components, and hydra brakes.

Talon 27.5 4 (2015) | Giant Bicycles | United States

Good get out, ride and get in shape. "thumbsup"

A new bike from LBS is best for newbs, they will help fit you properly, get it all setup, usually includes free couple tune-ups, shop discount on other stuff like helmet. Talon had nice geo when I took one for parking lot test ride, ymmv. It's best to spend a little more than you think you need to and stick to hardtails for beginner and entry level budget. Upgrading later is a lot more expensive especially if you pay shop to install parts. Read, go to couple LBS, talk with guys there, test ride, ask questions and then purchase. Do not get in a big hurry to buy the first bike you like. "thumbsup"

 

[rockhugger]

Great pics rupps5 "thumbsup"


That is a beautiful bike hpiguy"thumbsup"

 

[ROWDY RACING]

Good get out, ride and get in shape. "thumbsup"

A new bike from LBS is best for newbs, they will help fit you properly, get it all setup, usually includes free couple tune-ups, shop discount on other stuff like helmet. Talon had nice geo when I took one for parking lot test ride, ymmv. It's best to spend a little more than you think you need to and stick to hardtails for beginner and entry level budget. Upgrading later is a lot more expensive especially if you pay shop to install parts. Read, got couple LBS, talk with guys there, test ride, ask questions and then purchase. Do not get in a big hurry to buy the first bike you like. "thumbsup"

I just bought one, had to order it because they did'nt have a large frame instock.

Talon 27.5 3 (2015) (2014) | Giant Bicycles | United States

 

[Metal Militia]

I just picked one up as well, a Talon 4. I stopped by a local park on the way home with it and took it for a spin, I am thoroughly pleased with it as a novic MTBer. Litteraly everything about it is infinitely better than my old junk, I can't wait to get out and ride it more this weekend if the weather cooperates.

 

[canadianbacon]

I just picked one up as well, a Talon 4. I stopped by a local park on the way home with it and took it for a spin, I am thoroughly pleased with it as a novic MTBer. Litteraly everything about it is infinitely better than my old junk, I can't wait to get out and ride it more this weekend if the weather cooperates.

Congrats on the purchase, you're going to have fun for sure. Oh, and FYI, your sit bones most likely aren't going to cooperate for the first few rides. If you're asking what sit bones are, you're going to find out :ror: