Horse of a different color (latest gear purchase)

This is a guitar site, but I thought I'd post a pic of my latest gear purchase even though it is not a guitar. One of my other two greatest earthly pursuits is served by this:

http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/29er/product_125402.shtml

I have been Gassing/saving for this for a while, and as Spud will tell you, bike gas is more expensive than guitar gas. I sold my old bike and have a few skis on ebay right now, and have already sold one pair, to get this thing. I pick it up tonight (the store proprietor is a friend and is letting me ride it now) for a maiden voyage. Pretty excited I am!

Anyone else enjoy mountain biking? If so, come my way some time. World class trails here.

sunvalleylaw said:

This is a guitar site, but I thought I'd post a pic of my latest gear purchase even though it is not a guitar. One of my other two greatest earthly pursuits is served by this:

http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/29er/product_125402.shtml

I have been Gassing/saving for this for a while, and as Spud will tell you, bike gas is more expensive than guitar gas. I sold my old bike and have a few skis on ebay right now, and have already sold one pair, to get this thing. I pick it up tonight (the store proprietor is a friend and is letting me ride it now) for a maiden voyage. Pretty excited I am!

Anyone else enjoy mountain biking? If so, come my way some time. World class trails here.

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Look at the price man! You could have bought a Gibson for that much! Well almost all of a Gibson.

I am paying less, much less. Oh, and Gibsons costing that much is why I would or someday will end up with an Epi or an Agile.

You know someone needs to execute a coup over at Gibson and declare freedom from tyranny and oppression. I still cannot figure out why their prices went up so much between the 70s (and even 80s) to now. That's a cool bike though. I have too many other expensive hobbies to get into something like that right now.

Yeah, guys into cycling futz with their stuff and mod things (especially mountain bikers) at least as much as guitarists. You can spend a lot on that stuff here and there. People spend a fortune to save ounces of weight. Check out on the reviews the different parts people change out, even down to the skewers that hold the wheels on! LOL! I figure I have ounces I can shave by skipping a beer or a slice of pizza. I do like to start with a good, serviceable bike and maintain/replace parts as they wear out though.

At least with Robert's running, he is just in for shoes/socks, decent running clothes, and maybe a good watch and heart rate monitor if he uses one. A lot less dough.

That's cool though. You buy something of quality because of the "into it" factor you have. Some people think I'm nuts because I spend $600 on a fly rod or something. Actually I've only done that once and the rest of the other $600 rods were bought from friend deals or by selling stuff and paying half of what they normally cost. If you're into something by all means do what you gotta do to maximize your own personal enjoyment of it! R

Nice Steve, are you in it for competition fun or leisure fun ?

I ride for fun and fitness, and do not race at this point. I may enter a couple races when the kids are a little older. I go on a weekly tough ride every week with the local shop, where I am hustling to even keep up, and on a Sunday Phat Dad's ride where I am up near the front, and lunch rides or runs from the office when I can. You can get a good trail experience here and be back in the office in 1.5 hours if you don't dawdle and chat.

Here is as closer up shot of the bike so anyone interested can see it better. Whatever you do, don't look at the avatar to the left of the bike!
http://forums.bicycling.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/437104037/m/3601057962

...."FBG you make the rockin' world go 'round".....

You tell us not to look and what do we do? We look. R How much does that baby weigh?

sunvalleylaw said:

Yeah, guys into cycling futz with their stuff and mod things (especially mountain bikers) at least as much as guitarists. You can spend a lot on that stuff here and there. People spend a fortune to save ounces of weight. Check out on the reviews the different parts people change out, even down to the skewers that hold the wheels on! LOL! I figure I have ounces I can shave by skipping a beer or a slice of pizza. I do like to start with a good, serviceable bike and maintain/replace parts as they wear out though.

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I know what you mean...I was a bicycle mechanic for bout 6 years in my 20s...I tinker with everything now. Doesnt matter how great the bike is off the shelf, you cant fight it for long...theres parts that will be swapped...betcha cant make it a month without atleast something.

Great bike! You got much "freeride" terrain there?
Weve got lots of cross country style trails here, with lots of palmeto roots and sugar sand...thats waaaay too much bike for me...but it does look comfy.

I see you belong to a forum, but if you ever want/need any help or suggestions Im always willing to help when I can.

tone2thebone said:

...."FBG you make the rockin' world go 'round".....

You tell us not to look and what do we do? We look. R How much does that baby weigh?

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Around 27-28+ pounds depending on frame size and how it is decked out. It is not the lightest mountain bike out there, but a good compromise for the terrain we have. I would rather have a little more suspension travel for ree rolling fun than shave a pound and deal with rigidity.

ShortBusX, good to know about your mechanic experience. I will keep it in mind. Yeah, I am not sure which part will be the first to go. If it is functional and doesn't bother me, I usually leave the parts on til they wear some. A saddle might be replaced first with a good channel for underside comfort, then maybe the bar, and maybe pedals. May set it up for tubeless at some point. The terrain here is mountain single track, can be rocky, and can have some small drops, rock gardens, streams etc. There is a lot of very smooth single track too. No rock drops like some parts of Moab. The area favors somewhere between a "freeride" bike to an XC bike with 4 or 5 inches of travel seeming about right for me. Helps keep it rolling. That is what the larger wheel diameter is about too. The climbs (usually 1500 to 3000 in a ride total) make a downhill type bike (think motor dirt bike without the motor) way too heavy and squishy, unless you ride the chairlift up Baldy, which we don't. It is amazing, our freeride type bikes look like the bare min. of supension when you go down to Moab when you compare to what people ride down there.

Well, first ride under my belt, and all I can say is better than advertised! I don't think I am swapping out any parts for right now, other than a different bottle cage. Thanks for indulging me guys. Back to our previously scheduled guitar talk.

I trust the whole ride was right-side-up?

sunvalleylaw said:

That is what the larger wheel diameter is about too.

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WOW! I missed that, 29" wheels??? The idea is totally lost on me...wow!

Hows the Sram groupo? I was just leaving when the Sram trigger shifters first started coming out...Ive got a set of X-rays that are still in duty on my #3

Still having a hardtime with the claimed weight though, 27-28 pretty respectable for a stock hardtail...but with all that goodness, I was thinkin 32+...but then again its been about 7 years since Ive even been in a shop for anything other than a tube or water bottle.

Re: the weight, I just picked the middle of what I saw claimed online. It is last year's model, and Fisher does not still have stats online that I found. When I pick it up, I think it may be closer to 29.5 to 30 in stock form. Suspension has really lightened up in the last few years, and this bike has some carbon in the rear triangle. I have not weighed it though. It seems about the same as the Diamondback XR4 I replaced when I pick it up. However, I do not notice a weight penalty riding. The roll over factor of the larger wheels (that is the idea, you roll over stuff easier with the larger diameter wheels) really pays off for me and my riding strengths. I did not find it hard to get spinning and climbing held track and rotation very well. I am a leg strong, torquey rider though. YMMV. A rider that really relies on very high cadence and cannot mash at all may not like it as well, but I think they should try it anyway. Climbing on my first ride on it, I can get up stuff that I could not before, as long as I don't get too maxed anaerobically. I am still shaving off a winter layer and I will need to bump that threshhold. The mechanical advantage is obvious though. Descending, it just rolls, and holds a course very well. So far, I do not find it less responsive. It has that classic Fisher handling that I agree with very well.

Here is a link to more reviews and discussion coming out of Moab UT that thoroughly discusses the 29 inch wheel thing if you are interested:
http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/U...?p=18792&sid=789d4611c98ee7873c4ff9fd171fcd6f

All major manufacturers have announced a 29er this year execept Giant, and they are expected to announce an Anthem or Trance type in 29er config. There are many more wheel and tire options than a few years ago too. All I can say is I am sold. The advantages far outweigh and perceived disadvantages for me.

The SRAM stuff works great so far. My local bike guy prefers it to equivalent Shimano. For me, the only issue to get used to is push/push shifters rather than push/pull. But once I get used to it, having push/push means I can brake and shift at the same time if I need too. Seemed to work well. One thing to note is that because of the larger wheel size, you are pushing one "harder" gear than an equivalent 26er. I did not really notice it and you can swap out chain rings to compensate if you want. Time will tell if I want too. If you have a chance, try one!

Sounds chock full o features!

I remember that one of the major selling features to hybrids(27") was the easier roll over...but 29"? just the thought makes my knees hurt...Ive really gotta try one now! BTW(without having looked before I asked)...how hard is it gonna be to find tires? Or is this an industry trend and everybodys onboard with this one?
Sorry for the stupid questions...I really havent followed cycling or its trends in the last 5 years...I still ride bout 6 times a month and make it a habit to watch the Tour every year...also, Ive got a healthy set of bike tools(and stand) and still do repairs for friends and family.

[edit] I dont know how I missed this *bangs head*

Here is a link to more reviews and discussion coming out of Moab UT that thoroughly discusses the 29 inch wheel thing if you are interested:
http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/UM...f9fd 171fcd6f

All major manufacturers have announced a 29er this year execept Giant, and they are expected to announce an Anthem or Trance type in 29er config. There are many more wheel and tire options than a few years ago too. All I can say is I am sold. The advantages far outweigh and perceived disadvantages for me.

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Check the link in my reply for the tires info. There are lots of tires now. And the 29ers seem and industry wide trend. Almost all mfrs. have announced a 29er. WTB makes a bunch of 29er tires, but they weigh a bit more. Maxxis makes a tire that is preferred by the guys I ride with. Since your riding is flatter in the Palmettos with roots and sand and such, I think a 29 inch wheel could really rock. They make 29er bikes that are rigid rear, fully rigid, and for the slightly sick, single speed. Chip, who owns the shop I ride with, showed me his new toy, a Fisher 29er that was welded up in Wisconsin (can you believe that? at the the good old Trek factory due to Trek owning Fisher now), rigid rear, front fork, and set up just like a regular MTB. He is going to take it down to one ring in the front, put rigid fork on it, and ride it with the single speed guys with a little help from the cassette in the rear making it an 8 speeder. Something based off that model might be ideal for your riding. They are hard to get this year though. I can talk bikes (and skis, and guitars, and . . . ) a lot, so I don't mind questions, though I am no expert. I just watch and listen to the guys I ride with that are faster than I am and spend more on their bikes than I do!

You had me until you mentioned single speed + 29"???

I take it they dont make cantilevered brakes with 29" wheels do they?
Speaking of brakes are yours cable actuated or hydraulic?

mechanical, so I guess cable. Yeah, I don't get the single speed thing myself. That's ok, those guys can have a quiver of bikes because they can. For you, if you wanted to save weight and try a rigid rear 29er, I was thinking set up with normal type MTB gearing. I have never seen a 29er with cantilevers, but I don't see why one couldn't do it if the frame would allow it. But then, you are almost on a cross bike anyway, with wheel size and cantilevers.

sunvalleylaw said:

I have never seen a 29er with cantilevers, but I don't see why one couldn't do it if the frame would allow it.

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Thats what I was thinking...without discs this wouldnt really be possible... evolution