0 points (view top contributors)
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Not sure how you will transport your bike to trails when you are here. Good luck with that adventure for sure. And FYI, Ropes Mill is under water last I heard. Which is unfortunate as I love that trail tremendously.
Another Top 3 trail in Georgia is Chicopee Woods just NE outside of Atlanta. Great trails to ride for hours.
Besides working out 3x per week to stay fit TO ride and feel good I find myself Youtubing just about every single MTB video that I can. It helps just a little….repeat…a little.
I made a post on here and it just vanished. Does that ever happen to anyone else?
I tried some ENVE 29er carbon rims this fall from a guy who works at a LBS and had them on sale for a great price. After all the hoopla I had read about carbon rims I personally wasn’t as impressed as I had honestly hoped to be. I WANTED them to be all and more I had heard. I ended up buying this set below for $750 and am as thrilled as I can be on them. I have Hope hubs on them as well as my 27.5+ wheels for my Santa Cruz HT and wouldn’t have any other hub as they are very durable and strong. I’m not a weight weenie but if you are then something like this may not be in your wheelhouse.
Hope Pro 4 hubs w/ DT Swiss XM481 rim
.Sapim Race spokes w/ brass nipples
.Tubeless kit included
.1950g (approx)How much anyone is willing to spend on a new mountain bike in my opinion is sometimes based on some very simple things such as where is this person in life in general, their financial situation, and last but not least how deep into mountain biking are they? The first two could almost go hand-in-hand as it speaks to family life, work life, small or grown children, free time, health, etc. And all of these are indirectly tied to finances to a small degree. So if life is going well, kids are grown, you’re healthy as possibly can be for this kind of activity, got some spare time, wife/hubby (if married) is happy, and you have some extra coin, next comes the all important question that Greg asks: How much are we willing to spend? If you are new to mountain biking then I think a good beginning “jumping off point” to begin with is an entry level bike. Maybe something like a good, quality Hard Tail from a LBS with a reputable bike manufacturer. Price point between $700 – $1500. This bike could and should last someone a good long time to really grow and gather some awesome riding experience, observe other bikes on trails, ask questions, and luckily catch some Bike demo’s along the way. Depending on if you want to “graduate” to a Carbon frame from Aluminum, Hard tail to Full Squish, better components all around, name recognition, et al then of course is that next level some few lucky folks enter of $2500 – $5,000 (give or take). And lastly, you have that level of 5 digits that I for one have not personally gotten to and honestly don’t know if I ever will, or want to. I will just upgrade and upgrade and upgrade until I can’t upgrade anymore! How much is someone willing to spend on a new mountain bike? I guess that can be answered with 2 questions – Where are you at in mountain biking and life personally, and what is it worth to you?
First of all, thank you for taking the time to thank our Veterans. Seeing and hearing this really touches me especially in a day when it appears that they are not appreciated and frowned upon. Seeing people such as you still gives me pride and hope in that those who served, fought and died for our country and freedoms will always be remembered, honored, and never forgotten.
On another note, I too would like to say Happy birthday to all my Marine Brothers out there who are mountain bikers as well. Semper Fi to you and a hearty, loud OOH RAH!
Ken
The one good thing about Allatoona is they at LEAST have Turtleback open to ride even during hunting season. You just have to park at the Pitner Dog park.
Another thing that I think would help is bumping up that riding “1-2 times a month” to like “4-6 times a month”. Practice makes perfect. And that couldn’t be more truer mountain biking. I look back where I was a year ago and if I had only ridden based on that math 12-24 times all year long then getting air would be most likely be the least of my worries. lol. Now I try to get in 12 rides a month if not more. And I assure you that the things I have learned along the way have been learned in trial and error with grit and determination. Just a suggestion.
Welcome to Atlanta Chris! Aaron, Jeff, and Greg will give you a better snapshot of what trails in this area offer since this is their website and happen to have the trails here in Georgia as their backyard! BUT, there are a few of us who also live here and can point to a few good trails. According to this site Blankets Creek is the #1 trail in Georgia and while it deserves huge accolades and ratings that ranking is and can be debated depending on what MTB bikers are looking for, and get out of them. You mentioned that Blankets including the challenging VMT was rather flat. If you prefer to try a ride that has better, harder, challenging inclines with some awesome payoff’s downhill then let me recommend a trail up in Dahlonega, Ga. That is located in Northeast Georgia in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. There are actually (2) trails and both combined make up what is called the Dirty 30. Jake Mountain is a 15+ miles Intermediate trail that possibly meets your expectations of better climbs/descents. BUT, if it’s not then ride beside Jake Mountain is Bull Mountain which is also another 15+ mile trail. (Thus both combined give you the Dirty 30!) It is an Advanced/Black Diamond trail that is every bit of what it is rated. I’ve never been to Mulberry Gap but you may not have to go as far right now to get a more challenging ride!
Either way, good luck and I hope you find what you’re searching for. If I can be of any help, shoot me a message here and I’ll be glad to help.
Ken
^^ agree with stumpy that it COULD be the seatpost and is a good place to start. I also pulled off my saddle and applied grease to it and tightened it down as well as the saddle can sometimes make creaking noises.
I just purchased a new Santa Cruz back in March and after a while I also began having “creaking” noises. My LBS was adamant on finding the noise (after 4 different visits and dropping off my bike) and fix it. Actually, they were very understanding and encouraged me to bring it back each time if it didn’t go away. Granted my bike is/was new and they showed great customer service after the sale. You mention that your Scott is a 2016 so I don’t know if you JUST bought it (or where from) or it’s just beginning after owning since purchasing since 2016. Any caring and good LBS either under warranty or being paid should help this creaking noise disappear IMO. My creaking ended up being in the bottom bracket of all places.
The noise almost drove me crazy as I rode. It would come and go at different times on the trail and it was just plain annoying. You/we get on our bikes to get out and enjoy the ride. You suggest that a “little noise” isn’t too bad but if it just started I assure you that very soon it will be quite noticeable and grate on your nerves. I recommend that you fix it now so that you can think about other things as you ride! IMO
HOLY CRAP! I just got back from Vail and I am blown away out how much different MTB riding and the trails are than my small world of riding here in Georgia! Better? Eh, I suppose in many ways one could say yes while others may not agree. It’s just a different kind of ride in my opinion. I know that I only hit the tip of the iceberg while out in Vail but, that DH stuff can FLAT wear your hiney out. I thought my wrists were going to practically fall off after each ride down. And I feel like I am/was in good “bike shape” for this trip! It’s intense, challenging, FAST, non-stop, breathtaking the entire time in the saddle. I THOUGHT I had experienced a black diamond trail until I hit one there and O.M.G….I almost swallowed my tongue. Honestly, I was expecting with it being DH that I’d get out there with my Group of buddies and ride all day long. One of the guys that has a condo there said he only gets in 3-5 rides per day while there AT BEST. I scoffed when I heard that of course. After 2 times I was almost ready to call it a day! Ha Ha Ha. He wasn’t playing.
In regards to having a DH bike versus a Trail bike….well….I rode one each both days there. I can definitely tell a difference as far as safety and comfortability. The last day I rode a Yeti SB5 that was similar to my Santa Cruz and while the familiarity was there I did feel like going down trails such as this at decent rates of speed was a bit more hairy for my old rump. The geo of the DH bike allowed me to stay back more and take some of those insane and I mean INSANE switchbacks a little better without wiping out.
I HIGHLY recommend anyone who wants an adventure to try something new and outside the comfort zone to plan a trip out somewhere like Vail and see what all this DH business is about. It will open your eyes like nothing else!
Thanks to you all for the valuable information prior to my trip. You were ALL spot on with your suggestions and tips!
I think when it comes to technology and devices unfortunately it’s always going to be a risk when they’re carried mountain biking. Depending on how wet it gets or how hard of crash you take there’s really never going to be a panacea of cell protectors to save them. I lost a brand new IPhone 6+ not long after I got it on a trail. Looked everywhere for it and the next day as well. Went back 2 weeks later to the same trail and had my new Iphone 7 stuck in my Camelbak pack zipped up tight where I normally keep it. We got to a wide stream and I decided I was going to try and cross it. I had done it before but this time I didn’t realize the water was up. As soon as I hit the water it was like I hit a wall and I went down quick all the way up to my neck! The first thing I thought about was my cell phone! I got out of the water soaked to the bone, unzipped my Camelbak and much to my surprise the phone was dry as a bone! I was L-U-C-K-Y this time for sure.
I can easily tell so far that hydration will be my best friend out there! I had kinda thought that so I am trying to drink up as much H20 as possible this week. I personally don’t partake of any alcohol so at least I won’t have to worry about the pitfalls of that!
We are not going to be riding any bike parks but from what I understand mainly just a variety of downhill trails that are located near a Condo called “One Willow Bridge Road” located in Vail Village? A mixture of trails from Beginner to Double Black diamond.
I honestly didn’t even think about what riding + tires would do out there so that’s some good info to know right there. I guess I’ll be sure to rent and recommend regular 27.5 trail bikes to my buddies.
I wish I could say that I’m able to regulate my heart beat but I’ll be darned if everytime I ride I still bounce around from 135-165 hpm regardless of the amount of intensity! But again, this is something I need to be cognizant of also.
The weather is supposed to be like 70-75 each day so who would’ve thought bring sunscreen! I appreciate that tidbit of info Aaron!
My Santa Cruz has those Cane Creek 40 series Aaron so that’s good to know those are a fairly popular and trusted headset. On average for someone who rides approx. 25-35 miles per week in northern Georgia how long could one expect these Cane Creek 40’s to last? Is that a legitimate question or is the unknown too large here to answer that? Just curious as to what I could expect.
What about wooden posts or rails blocking the entrances to deter them? They may have to be quite large in some cases but, if it’s that important to keep them from doing it then so be it.
These are some awesome responses guys! lol. I am loving it. I must confess that I DO use mine so I don’t mean to sound like I have one and just flat out don’t use it. But hearing all of yours reasoning does make lots of sense. It really does come down to each person’s individual riding pleasures just like someone above mentioned carbon frames, tubeless tires, carbon handlebars, et al.
Thanks for that info jagungal. That helps. I guess if I am reading the specs on my Santa Cruz it says I have the Cane Creek 40, Integrated for a headset. And I really can’t tell if it’s too sensitive or not. So I guess if it’s not broken then there’s no need to fix it! lol
Blundar, thank you for taking the time to share your experiences of what works for you on these components. I am assuming it has to do with the “comfort” of ride. However, I was wanting to know how these 2 things add to or subtract from a ride overall for riders. Could adding to one or both of these enhance my bike and ride, and if so, what would be some of the key factors to look for, etc. Again, I do appreciate you sharing what you’ve experienced and did learn a little from that!
What is the purpose of the stem and headset other than the obvious of holding the handlebar on? lol. I suppose my question is how do these affect a rider’s overall ride for the better or worse? Other than seeing so many riders choosing these components to add some “pop” to their bike how could changing these be even more advantageous?
You asked if we had any “dumb” questions so I’m sure this one rates right up at the very top! But hopefully I’ll learn some really good information!
The best thing for cramps is pure Pickle juice. Nothing works better.
