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I can relate. Riding in FL can be brutal May-Oct. I always take the hydration pack and usually drink about 20 oz. of water with a hydration tab an hour before riding. I have also found it very helpful to begin pre-hydrating 24-48 hours before a longer ride.
I can relate. Riding in FL can be brutal May-Oct. I always take the hydration pack and usually drink about 20 oz. of water with a hydration tab an hour before riding. I have also found it very helpful to begin pre-hydrating 24-48 hours before a longer ride.
I bought a Hawk Hill last year and absolutely love riding on it. My last bike was a Giant hardtail and I am amazed at how much more the Hawk Hill lets me get away with on all kinds of trails. It’s stable but very playful and is very forgiving of my questionable line choices. Media reviews have all been very good as well.
I just pick up tubes as I need them at the bike shop, which doesn’t happen very frequently. They sell either Giant or Specialized. They’re all about the same, in my experience. Unless you ride in a location with goat head thorns, chunky rocks or ride really low psi and get a lot of pinch flats, they hold up pretty well.
My first bike was a Talon 3. I still own it and enjoy riding it. I upgraded the fork to a Rockshox 30 Gold TK Solo Air fork and it made a big difference in the type of trails (mostly intermediate/a few advanced) and the speed that I was comfortable riding. Had the shop mount the fork. I also put on a WTB Pure Gel saddle. These upgrades were good investments in my opinion and allowed me to be more confident and comfortable on the bike.
No question that it’s a good bike for that price point. Giant is great at providing value. I own a Giant hardtail and it has served me very well. It’s a good thing that the $1500 FS bike market has now become a more competitive arena for consumers. Nice to have quality choices like the Stance and Hawk Hill.
You might compare it to the Marin Hawk Hill at the same price. All positive reviews. I just bought one and looked closely at and rode the Stance before making the decision. I liked it, but my local Giant dealer more or less talked me out of the Stance, based on the rear suspension design. Said it created a good amount of “pedal bob” on climbs. I can tell you that the Hawk Hill has no such issue from my experience.
I got a GoPro about a year ago and used it a lot for the first 4-5 months. Haven’t used it much lately, but plan to get back to it soon. I lack the patience to do editing and want to get better at it, which should make it more enjoyable to use.
I learned early on how important it is to fuel up before a ride in hot/humid weather. Eat a healthy breakfast if you don’t want to bonk and get dropped.
I can relate. I would rather battle the FL heat by going a little later in the morning than run into the webs and their residents. I will go early on group rides and more than happy to let someone else lead and clear the trail.
Looking forward to hitting DuPont and Pisgah late summer with some old friends.
I used a pair of Ergons w/bar ends for about a year and liked how they felt on my hands. But I ditched them last year as I was always worried about hooking them on something. Our trails are pretty tight and sometimes have vines hanging down near the trail. Had too many bad visions of snagging the ends and going endo. I could see using them again when on more open terrain as they were quite comfortable.
You are doing it right. Everything I’ve been told says to wash the bike often and keep pressurized water away from the rear hub and suspension seals. Also, be careful if you use a spray lube to not get any on the brake discs as it will pollute the pads and may cause brake failure.
