New ride on the way

[Rebus ✓ supporter]

I finally pulled the trigger and bought an 05 Santa Cruz Heckler on eBay. It’ll be here Friday.

It’s a medium frame, orange, with a new DHX 5.0 coil. I already ordered a larger spring from Fox (I’m a clyde, and it comes stock with a 300lb spring, but he is also sending a 400# spring so I needed a much higher rate ) and it should be here the same day. The bike comes with a Thomson seatpost and a Salsa clamp, which is pretty sweet.

The gear I have been hording over the past year in anticipation of a new bike:

* Manitou Minute 3:00 IT SPV and all that rot
* blue Chris King headset
* Hope seat clamps and skewers
* XTR M960 front der
and more little items.

I’m using the following off my hardtail:

* Avid BB5s for now (Juicys later this summer)
* new-ish XT crank with a RaceFace bashguard
* XTR M960 rear der
* WTB saddle
* XT brake/shift pods
* Kovachi/Mavic/DT Swiss wheelset
* XT cassette/XTR chain
* ODI grips

I can’t wait. That’s why I’m posting instead of working. I can’t concentrate on work. I feel like a friggin kid two days before Christmas.

[Bombardier]

Awesome, man… another SantaCruz rider…. 😎

But why do you want to dress your bike with a Shimano drivetrain? I’m telling you, try a ride on something with SRAM x-9s or x-0s, and you’ll never go back. Sure, the new XTR is pretty fly (and expensive!), but that crisp snap of getting a gear NOW is something that I’m sure Shimano will never get right…. and so far I’ve heard reports along those lines.

The BB7s are a good go for the time being, but I’d suggest Maguras or Shimano hydros. Avids are nice, powerful brakes, but they’re a pain to keep from being so damn noisy, and they don’t have as much modulation as say, Magura…. Plus, I dig the mineral oil as brake fluid, it’s a lot more bike and enviroment friendly.

[Rebus ✓ supporter]

I’ve had this XTR and XT stuff for a while. I’ve spent so much on other parts and pieces I couldn’t justify a new drivetrain when I have a decent one. Honestly though, I’ve ridden a bike with X.9 stuff on it and I can’t tell the difference, except the SRAM is louder. The Shimano works fine for me so I really have no reason to change at this time. I was thinking of trying a SRAM setup when this stuff wears out though. 😃

Hey, are you still overseas? I’m a little out of touch.

[KenfromCali]

Sweet lookin ride!!!

[Author]

Posts