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  • in reply to: Best Trail Glasses? #604301

    Another big fan of Tifosis. I’ve worn the Swicks for a couple of years and switched to a pair of Sledges last winter. The big lens look of the Sledge isn’t my favorite look, but I love the AC Red lens, the coverage is about 98% of what you’d get with goggles, and they absolutely do not move on your face.  If you need a smaller frame, the Sledge Lite is a viable option.

     

    in reply to: Personal Question #603842

    And be ready to say awkwardly hi to someone.  There’s a reason they say if you’re alone and need help in the wilderness, take a leak. Someone will be along before you’re done, no matter where you are…

    in reply to: Specialized not providing warranty support #602194

    I was initially shocked by this but then I took a closer look at the letter.

    “…they will no longer provide manufacturer warranty support through Mike’s Bikes for the many thousands of Specialized bikes that we have sold…”

    So, unless I’m mistaken, the bikes are still covered by their warranty just not through Mike’s Bikes (since they will no longer be an authorized dealer). You can take your bike to another authorized Specialized dealer and they can take care of you. If this is correct, then it tracks and there’s not much to this other than some questionable wording.

     

    in reply to: RaceFace Turbine Cinch – Stuck Hard #592766

    EDIT to previous post: the lock ring is 16mm. There are adapters available, or you can use a 16mm bolt head with two nuts backed against each other as a tool for it.

    in reply to: RaceFace Turbine Cinch – Stuck Hard #592750

    Stupid question, have you already loosened the lock ring (I think it’s 12 or 14mm)? Just asking because the 8mm bolt should not be that tight…

    in reply to: does your helmet serve its purpose? #580611

    I’ve “retired” 3 helmets in my time riding.  The first was a pavement crash where I hit hard enough to crack the foam in 3 places (no doubt preventing a skull fracture). The second was my first full-face DH helmet, my head bounced-off several tree trunks while I tumbled through the trees. The most recent was when I highsided myself out of a turn (and over a small jump) in a bike park.

    Yes, I’m a big fan of helmets. I’ll admit I don’t buy the most expensive helmets, I prefer to go with the more inexpensive MIPS helmets while keeping the price tag low enough to be (relatively) painlessly expendible.

    in reply to: What to upgrade (under $150) on GT Agressor Comp #348325

    Looks like you’re on the right track on sensible upgrades to your bike.  Tires and touch points almost shouldn’t be considered “upgrades” as much as just making the bike work for you. On that note, new grips can make a world of difference for a relatively small price.

    If, for whatever reason, a tubeless conversion just doesn’t work for you (some lower-end wheels just don’t cooperate) I’ve heard good things about the Tannus Armour tube liners (about $40 each).  I don’t personally have any experience though.

    in reply to: coldest ride day #306361

    My coldest ride this year was about 4°F, not even close to last season’s low of -6°. Its all part of the “fun” of fatbiking…

    Finally got around to riding a good portion of the Corner Canyon trail system in Draper UT late this summer. We started on Levitate, went to Jacob’s Ladder and Ghost Falls, climbed back to Rush and exited on Limelight.  All in all it was a really fun day with a really good group of riders.

    I also made my first trip(s) down Wasatch Crest this summer which were fun, but I wouldn’t call amazing.

    in reply to: winter fitness #304366

    My riding is cut down to once a week (but that’s about all I get to ride in the summer) but it is with the added resistance of a fatbike on snow.

    in reply to: Buying a Second Bike #304158

    What kind of riding is your current bike holding you back from?  The biggest thing to consider to make the most out of the N+1 bike mentality is to try to minimize the amount of capability overlap between bikes. You mentioned being interested in possibly racing DH/Enduro but your current bike would be a perfectly capable enduro racer and would be more than adequate for lower-level DH racing (at least enough to see if it is for you before taking the full plunge) so you’d have a ton of overlap there.  If you have a lot of more XC-ish trails in your local area that your current bike makes feel boring, I’d say a HT is the way to go.

    For example; I have a YT Jeffsy for more aggressive trail riding/ light park days (I’m on the wrong side of 40 and don’t get too aggressive or ride serious DH anymore), a steel XC hardtail for trails that are just a bit much for a gravel bike but are pretty boring on the Jeffsy, and a fat bike for winter. They maximize my capability for riding I’d want to do while minimizing capability overlap.

    For your situation, I’d recommend a visit to your LBS to make sure you get started safely and to give you a benchmark of what properly adjusted brakes and shifting feel like. From there I’d recommend slowly accumulating the necessary tools and know-how to start doing your own maintenance. Typically the tools to do most work cost about the same as the labor you’d pay to to have the work done, if not less. Since you mentioned YouTube, Park Tools has a great channel with videos on how to do just about any maintenance on any bike (with the exception of internal suspension stuff, but there are other sources for that).

     

    in reply to: Flip-chips and geo shifts #303726

    Considering replacement flip chips for my bike (YT Jeffsy) are $10, I don’t see it adding more than $5 to the retail cost of a bike… I’d rather have the option for that price.

    in reply to: Flip-chips and geo shifts #303700

    I typically slacken my bike for gravity oriented days and steepen it up for trail days. The difference isn’t drastic, but the front wheel is a bit less skittish in the slack position while pedal strikes are drastically lower in the higher position.

    in reply to: Upgrades #303134

    Add me to the “upgrade tires and touch points” crowd. Most OEM-spec tires are subpar at best and I absolutely can’t stand grips and saddles that aren’t right for me (I didn’t even do a single ride on my Jeffsy with the grips it came with;  they weren’t bad, they just weren’t for me).
    I (stupidly) put-off getting new tires for my fat bike as I really didn’t want to spend the money they cost. I finally got new tires when I stumbled across an amazing deal last spring. They have totally transformed my bike!

    This one came to mind: https://youtu.be/Wkh95k-nuwM

    It depends mainly on where you live and ride. During the summer, I might only wash my bike once or twice mainly because I ride in dry, dusty conditions. I do wipe-down the shock, fork, and seatpost stanchions after each ride along with frequent cleaning of the drivetrain. I agree with what Rmap01 quoted about not wanting to unnecessarily expose the bearings suspension pivots to water.

    When I lived in a much wetter environment, my bike was subjected to weekly full-teardown cleanings and lubes.

    in reply to: Mixed standard fork and frame #290055

    I’d suggest (since this is an initial build) that you try to find a boost fork, unless you found an incredible deal on your fork. Its likely paying the difference in price will save you a lot of headaches down the road if you need to replace wheels.  Keep in mind, decent non-boost wheels will only get tougher to find and there’s a decent chance you might end-up buying two forks over the long run.

    Full disclosure; I have a boost frame/non-boost fork and am constantly on the lookout for good deals on boost forks for if/when I want/need new wheels…

    in reply to: What MTB trend do you want reversed? #289883

    Iowasx4mtb gets it! The people out killing it on old-school gear are, and have always been, cooler than people struggling on top-end stuff.

    in reply to: Your MTB plan? #289473

    Continue to have fun riding and not “have a plan.”
    While that may sound snarky, allow me to provide some backstory. I started XC racing at 14 years old and became a pretty strong contender and most races in the JrEx class in the area. My military service took me to Utah where I resumed XC racing and added road training/racing to my resume. In a given week, in addition to working full-time, I typically spent 35-40 hrs on a bike which didn’t allow time for much else. In 2000 and 2001 I tried to freshen things-up by trying my hand at DH racing as well and while showing promise, I just couldn’t afford hardware to really be competitive. In the spring of  2002, I just couldn’t find any motivation or desire to ride a bike anymore. I had spent 9 years living on a bike and structuring my life to revolve around it without allowing any real fun. Every ride was a targeted training event, every meal was fuel and it just sucked all the fun out of riding.
    Fast-forward 12 years and I started to feel something missing. I felt an inexplicable urge to dust-off my old XC bike (now a relic) and get back on a bike. In the past 4 years, I’ve bought 3 bikes (HT, FS Trail, and fattie) and ride when, where, and how I feel like with a strict “no racing” policy. I guess the closest thing I have to a “plan” is to slowly integrate my 2-year old son into riding and to continue just riding for fun…

Viewing 20 posts - 1 through 20 (of 106 total)