HC Bike/Cycling Thread

[parris]

^ WOW those appear to be some killer prices for a good line of bikes!  It never ceases to surprise me what some of the smaller manufacturers can come up with as far as value.  I'm biased but if I were in the market I would go this route vs. one of the big companies.

[VPI]

I am really tempted by that 650B hard tail.  Three Titanium bikes seems about right.

[justin]

Checked out one of the bike shops in Austin that was nearby. They had a Santa Cruz tallboy which appeared to be the same as the bike I rode in Fairfax, but it did not feel as big this time, like it was 1/2 to 1" lower. Something must have been set up differently. It was on hold though. I called Mellow Johnnys in Austin and they have a medium SC Superlight, i forgot to ask if it was a 26 or 29er, but im going to check it out tomorrow.  ive been wanting to see one of those but the closest SC dealer to me in Virginia is 120 miles and they don't stock it

Edited March 3, 2013 by justin

[agile_one]

Brent .... of course the Lynskey family makes great bikes, they're irish.  I found them a while back from a google search and was intrigued.  Have you gone over there to check them out?  Maybe we need a HC group buy - let Dinny, Fitz, JP, and me do the negotiating.  It's easy when you know their weakness ... "give us a good break on the bikes or we cut off your potatoes"

[justin]

i dont think I can buy a bike until Dinny has bought at least 3

[agile_one]

How do you know he hasn't?

[VPI]

I think he bought at least two "grown up" scooters, do those count?

[Voltron]

Sting says yes!

[agile_one]

Here's proof for at least one of the three that I'm sure Dinny has ...

 

[raffy]

Rode 15 miles on the trail today against 17-19 mph winds. It wasn't as bad as last week with straight headwinds/tailwinds and today was more side winds. I was getting pushed around quite a bit but it wasn't bad enough for me to want less deep wheels.

 

I know it's too early to really rave about it but so far I'm very please with moving up to a 90mm stem (which actually measured closer to 95-100mm). I was a little afraid I was too stretched out when I first rode it on the trainer but it was perfect on the road. I no longer feel crunched up and I'm able to make a slight bend on my elbow more naturally. I'm really surprised how it made a big difference in fit and overall feel of my bike.

Edited March 3, 2013 by raffy

[Dreadhead]

Raffy the stem length is measured at the center of the tube and therefore it measures longer up top.

Glad it's working for you.

[raffy]

Thanks Chris. I've only measured it on the negative rise side so it may be shorter on the flip side. However, I read Deda stems are know to run a little long at times.

[Dreadhead]

Weird. I would be very very pissed if I ordered a stem and it wasn't to spec.

[raffy]

Agreed Chris. I've read multiple forum posts stating stems running either too long or too short. Of course they might be measuring it the wrong way too.....

[n_maher]

I would have assumed that stems were measured from CTC.

[justin]

Went to Mellow Johnny's bike shop in my free day in Austin.  They had a Santa Cruz Superlight I wanted to try.  On paper it seemed like everything I was looking for -- a little smaller than the Tallboy, and cheaper.  It rode OK on pavement but the backend was really loose on gravel or slick grass.  Sitting right next to it was a Santa Cruz Tallboy, same bike I rode in Fairfax except maybe different front fork.  It was a raw aluminum look and is sweet.  When I rode it in Fairfax, I thought it was way too big for me.  This time it felt right and I had no problem getting on it.  Could the rental have been setup differently, or am I just getting used to adult sized bikes?  I rode it and it was great and the size feels good.  Then took a rental Giant Anthem on a trail here, which was all rocks and not a lot of fun.  The Giant was a size small (all they had), which fit my legs, but I was really cautious about going over the bars and now I see the benefit to a proper fitting size for the torso.  Then stopped by Bicycle Sport Shop where they had the exact same Tallboy for $350 less, except they don't want to be accommodating on shipping/sales tax issues.  So I left and will keep looking around - Mellow Johnny's will ship for me if i want it.  Might need to do some local rentals in VA on home trails

Edited March 4, 2013 by justin

[VPI]

I think you probably are just getting used to the feeling of barely being able to reach the ground from the seat.  If it is set up to your pedal stroke it becomes difficult to mount the bike and reach the ground once you are on.  I think Mike was experiencing the same thing when he first got the FS.  

 

I know Chris wants to get out on the trails soon so a trip up here could probably get you the rental bike and some people to ride with.

[deepak]

Do you ride a medium Tallboy? IIRC Santa Cruz's smallest size? I think Brent said the sizing on those was a bit weird. I've only ridden the LT version and the medium fit me (5'8" more torso than legs)

[justin]

Do you ride a medium Tallboy? IIRC Santa Cruz's smallest size? I think Brent said the sizing on those was a bit weird. I've only ridden the LT version and the medium fit me (5'8" more torso than legs)

 

medium is the smallest for that model.  they say its for 5'5" and up and i'm also 5'8"

 

so i just realized that the rental I had that I thought was too big..i'm pretty sure it had a Fox fork which would have been 120mm of travel

 

the one i demo'd last weekend that felt more comfortable had a Rock Shox 100mm fork.  could that have been the difference?

[justin]

http://www.terrain360.com/trails/virginia/riprap_1/riprap.html

 

this is pretty cool...the official trails in my county have "google street view". ive looked at a few of these trails and there's really nothing that would need much suspension...its just dirt paths

 

then i saw this: http://www.terrain360.com/trails/virginia/humpback_rocks_1/tour.html?func=jumptopano&markercount=2 (you have to click to around 90% the end of the trail)

 

but mostly just dirt paths.  definitely what i'm interested in doing as there's some elevation gains 

Edited March 5, 2013 by justin

[VPI]

Yes, most of the trails around this area are fast and flowy with minimal obstacles. Great for fast fun riding with minimal technical challenges. There are a few right around my house that are more technical which are always fun for a little break from bombing down dirt trails.

[Dreadhead]

Everyone has a different view I find them plenty technical enough for me.

[n_maher]

I can't wait to hit the rocks again after mud season.

[agile_one]

Love the mud ...

 

[c12mech]

^^Mud is fun, but not from that angle!

 

Went for a ride this morning.  Since I put the new shorter stem on, I am much more comfortable.  I'm still waiting for the new saddle, hopefully this week sometime.  I did notice that my fingers go numb now if I don't move my hands around a lot.  Any way to stop that?  I ride with gloves but I need to get some new ones since I've had these for couple of years.  Can changing the angle of the bars and moving the hoods around make much difference?  I'm now to the micro adjustment stage of getting the bike set up and this is the biggest issue left.