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Arishtat posted:I'm going to WV in a few weeks and planning to hit Snowshoe's bike park. This will be my first time on a true downhill course as I ride XC in and around Patapsco State Park and Bacon Ridge in MD. What am I getting myself into here? Start on some green/blues and work your way up. Knee pads and elbow pads are a good idea. A full face helmet just depends on how rowdy you are going to get. I find that most blue and even black trails at bike parks are not really any harder than other trails not at the bike park (at least I feel this is true in CO) where I just wear a regular helmet. I think your bike will be fine for your first time. I ride my Trek Fuel at the parks here which is 130/130. Renting a bike might be fun but I would probably just ride what you got, figure out the bike park, and rent next time.
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Aug 8, 2020 15:03
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thatguy posted:A week from now we're gonna be starting on the blue descent trail from the bottom up, gonna take a month or so but it's gonna be the goods, 1000 feet, 2.4 miles. I've talked to parker a few times about it but I'm gonna do a flowy downhill towards the west down a drain I like kinda off the meadow, but that'll be probably november and who knows, maybe next year. I don't give a gently caress how long we stay out here, we're staying until it's impossible to work because south carolina is a loving shitshow and I don't want the rona Hell yeah. Been seeing some volunteer calls from the Giddyup folks too. Excited about what’s going on out there.
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Aug 8, 2020 16:21
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If you ever need riders to burn in trail my services are available.
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Aug 8, 2020 16:45
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Ride my bike this morning before it got too hot out. Lots of smiles per hour!
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Aug 8, 2020 17:49
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thatguy posted:Just speaking as a guy who needs to order materials a lot, it's like 20% demand spike and 80% materials and logistics problems. Even shops that are healthy and 100% in business have to deal with suppliers that aren't, and even if their suppliers are, the supplier's suppliers aren't. I wanted to bid on a job doing a quarter mile of boardwalk, and I had to back out solely because I can't get a quote that'll be good for more than 5 days, and those I did get were astronomical with no guarantee that was the worst of the pricing. I know a few guys that do timber work, and while crews are cutting nonstop, mills are barely paying anything and a good number are only cutting on demand. And the lumber industry is 4 basic elements, timber buyers/crews, mills, wholesalers, and buyers. People might not realize it yet because they're so focused on small poo poo, but the US economy is straight up loving hosed. I’d hoped it was mostly a demand thing, but that makes sense. I was considering taking advantage of the inflated market to sell my 2 year old bike for what I paid for it, but maybe I ought to hold onto it if I want to find a replacement bike before 2022.
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Aug 8, 2020 21:58
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An early 2000s Rockhopper showed up on Craigslist in my area for $250. Besides being a crappy deal, is there any big reason I wouldn’t want such an old bike for messing around on easy trails until the bike market goes back to normal?
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Aug 8, 2020 23:08
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If it fits you it's a fine price to get yourself out there. If you don't love it you can probably sell it for the same price.
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Aug 8, 2020 23:20
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vikingstrike posted:If you ever need riders to burn in trail my services are available. Not sure if this is to me but you're welcome to come out anytime, send me a PM or email me at hccjosh@gmail.com and ill give you all the info about whats finished whats not etc. Its in black hawk, co
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Aug 8, 2020 23:39
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thatguy posted:Not sure if this is to me but you're welcome to come out anytime, send me a PM or email me at hccjosh@gmail.com and ill give you all the info about whats finished whats not etc. Its in black hawk, co Will do!
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Aug 9, 2020 04:15
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I think I put in my most vert in one ride this morning (4,170'). It was real hard not to take the bail out option before the grueling 1300' of climbing towards the end. It was fun overall with one hike a bike section that was not as fun.  https://www.strava.com/activities/3889160198
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Aug 9, 2020 20:23
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spwrozek posted:Start on some green/blues and work your way up. Knee pads and elbow pads are a good idea. A full face helmet just depends on how rowdy you are going to get. I find that most blue and even black trails at bike parks are not really any harder than other trails not at the bike park (at least I feel this is true in CO) where I just wear a regular helmet. Thanks dude, that's a big confidence boost. YouTube stalking confirms that the blues look very doable. I will definitely report back to the group on my experience.
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Aug 9, 2020 20:39
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spwrozek posted:I think I put in my most vert in one ride this morning (4,170'). It was real hard not to take the bail out option before the grueling 1300' of climbing towards the end. It was fun overall with one hike a bike section that was not as fun. That CT descent off the back of Georgia is so good.
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Aug 10, 2020 01:35
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vikingstrike posted:That CT descent off the back of Georgia is so good. It was the first time I have gone down it. I would say it was good but not the best part of that ride for me. I think the descent from the top of CO 176 down to the dredge lot is better if you can catch it with limited people.
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Aug 10, 2020 03:30
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spwrozek posted:It was the first time I have gone down it. I would say it was good but not the best part of that ride for me. I think the descent from the top of CO 176 down to the dredge lot is better if you can catch it with limited people. Never done the 176 descent, I’ll have to check it out.
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Aug 10, 2020 04:01
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vikingstrike posted:Never done the 176 descent, I’ll have to check it out. I meant from where 176 meets the CT and going down the CT to the dredge lot (the last big downhill on the ride I did today). I wouldn't ride down 176, It is a nice climb though from Keystone. This loop is pretty fun adding in Captain V. https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/5691391/keystone-gulch-to-soda-creek-loop
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Aug 10, 2020 04:06
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spwrozek posted:I meant from where 176 meets the CT and going down the CT to the dredge lot (the last big downhill on the ride I did today). I wouldn't ride down 176, It is a nice climb though from Keystone. Ah, ok. Breck is actually on the short list for next weekend so I’ll have to keep this in mind. Thanks for sharing the link!
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Aug 10, 2020 04:09
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Also, similar area but if you have never done Lenawee from A Basin, I highly recommend. It’s a lot of fun.
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Aug 10, 2020 04:10
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Ok, here's a trip report for my first real ride on my hardtail with the Trust Message. There's a bunch of stuff I put on the bike since I last rode it, so will give quick reviews for that stuff as well. The On-One 45650B is a 27.5 evolution of their 456 hardtail, which is meant for 4-5-6" forks. I'd ridden this as an around-town bike and also a couple times as a rigid 26+. The geometry of the On-One is a bit weird. It's a 2014 with mostly old school geo, but slack because it's a British hardtail. 65.7 deg HTA, but only 410mm reach in 20", the biggest size. That's shorter than my medium 2017 Fuse, which is why I got the XL 45650B frame. On the trail, the geo doesn't really stand out except that the standover is notably high -- 4cm higher than my Fuse. I hit the top tube quite a few times dabbing.  I also decided to try out a bullmoose bar: https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/HBOOBM/on-one-bullmoose-handlebar with end extenders to bring the width to 75cm. I'd ridden 76cm before and I thought it would be enough, but the bars just don't work for me with this frame. I need more downsweep, and maybe a cm more stem reach. I can live with 75cm, but wider'd probably feel better. So bear in mind my riding was done with these bars I couldn't even adjust, other than brake lever position, which I did a couple times. I was on 2.3" DHF and Aggressor. I actually forgot to bring my pump, so was maybe a little conservative in letting air out (had to ride 4mi to/from the trail). I think I dialed in the rear correctly, but might have left the front a bit firm. It was dry and I liked the traction from both.  I usually wear unpadded Giro DnDs. This time, I brought some baseball gloves with D3O padding I have been meaning to test out. The left hand is a catcher glove with slightly longer padding on the index finger. The way the padding sat felt weird on the right hand fielder glove, so I cut the padding out and trimmed it. These were much more comfortable than my DnDs, but I dunno how much so compared to normal padded gloves. Riding for just a bit barehanded confirmed that they were making a huge difference in canceling out little shocks. On to the Trust fork itself. I've been very positive in the bike Slack that this product was part of a very robust and professional effort for a debuting brand. The instruction manual, accessories, packaging, construction -- all show a company that was trying to do it right from day one. The initial setup when the fork came out was to set both air springs to psi = your weight in lbs. Then they changed it to 15psi less than your weight. I weight 205, and set it at 180. The fork ships with 1 spacer (out of 4 possible total), and of course I stuck with that. If you haven't read about the kinematics of the Trust, this is pretty illustrative: https://bikeco.com/trust-message-fork-review-geometry/ especially the Contour Travel and Trail for Trails sections. Notably, the trail increases (when HTA held constant) up to 55% of the fork's travel, which is 130mm along the axle arc, but only 120 measuring parallel to the steerer, which I think matters after my ride. Here's a couple meager pics of the the trail. From fast gravel / pulverized pine needles (perfect for gravel biking):  To minorly steep descents with some chunkier rocks and roots poking out:  To really jaggy big roots and occasional rock gardens:  I've ridden most of this area with a Fuse on a 140mm Fox 34 Factory, which reasonably dialed in settings, so that'll be the point of comparison. First off, my quarantine fitness is absolute trash, and I took way more breaks in the ~2h riding than I ever have. I couldn't fully commit in the 2nd half because I was just too cooked from climbs. Whenever I could, I'd seek out worse lines to hit the suspension. Unfortunately for my testing purposes, I only found the cool/hard stuff in the 2nd half. The first half was very tame, though even on the few fast descents I did, I double checked that the fork was in the fully open setting. It was. This was a comment made by more than one reviewer, that they were caught off guard by how firm the bike felt. Similarly to those reviewers, I never needed to switch to the other firmer settings for climbing. The sag indicator shows I got to 80% of travel, which seems right. The second half is where all the varied terrain came in. I had a good time despite gassing a third of the way up every climb, and would have had with other bikes. On 1-2" washboard root sections, the ride was certainly composed, but definitely not cush. Of course the rear was still harsher, but the difference wasn't that much. Over most small spiky bumps, I kept thinking it was hard to tell from a rigid fork. On this kind of terrain, the Fox 34 is definitely plusher, and feels more reactive. On bigger steps, the Trust felt great. Having the wheel move back in reaction to a square edge definitely improves the sense of carrying speed (until I get jounced by the rear wheel). On rocky descents is where you really notice the trail-maintaining geometry. Maybe the Trust is only working to maintain stability throughout travel, but compared to a telescopic fork, it sure feels like it's increasing stability as it compresses. Up to a point -- on bigger hits, I felt like it was swing back toward less stable. This is all born out by the suspension diagrams linked above, but I didn't have those in mind when I was riding. So yeah, I'd summarize that in the first half of travel, you benefit from perceived increasing stability, which evaporates as you move deeper into the travel. My fox 34 felt a bit more linear, and I got closer to bottoming out on the same harsh descents. Some reviews said this feels like a bigger fork than it is. I don't think I agree with that. It feels like a very firm, progressive 120mm fork. Trust claimed this could replace up to a 150mm fork. I don't really see that extreme. I like the added stability, but from one ride, I don't know that it's game changing. The extra confidence you get from stability in the first half of travel is really nice, but you would never sell this fork as something safer or easier to use for beginners. You ride it with the same fundamentals and just appreciate the different suspension behavior. The fact that the feeling changes in the 2nd half of travel is... disappointing? Like the party trick is not as impressive that way. Last thing -- a couple times, having the tire slip off a small rock sideways, I got a sense for how stiff the fork is. Which is very. Very little twist or lateral bend. That coupled with pretty stiff first bit of travel are maybe what make it feel like a rigid fork.
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Aug 10, 2020 04:20
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My old wheel cameo 
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Aug 10, 2020 04:43
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Started cleaning my bike last week. Found one of the pivot bearings on its way to being a bushing. Week and a half later, we have new bearings and new vinyl. 
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Aug 10, 2020 12:45
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Sadi posted:Started cleaning my bike last week. Found one of the pivot bearings on its way to being a bushing. Week and a half later, we have new bearings and new vinyl. What is up with you front brake cable? Or is that an allusion in the picture?
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Aug 10, 2020 16:15
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50/50 angle and cable being a bit shorter than it should be. I’ve been too lazy to order new hose.
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Aug 10, 2020 16:20
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Are prices on bicycle blue book still (ever?) fairly accurate? I'm selling my 2017 Trance 2 at the upper end of their price and getting a bunch of inquiries. Is the market now higher than what they've listed?
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Aug 10, 2020 16:28
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I just sold a bike for twice what bicycle blue book said it was worth. People are desperate for any flat barred bike right now. You might as well way overshoot and then walk it down a bit.
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Aug 10, 2020 16:44
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I sold a bike yesterday very fast after posting. From time to post to taking it down after getting home from the sale, it was up for 6 hours? There just isn't much inventory on the used market right now and there's no stock in stores, so people are willing to pay.
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Aug 10, 2020 17:02
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Yeah I posted last night for $1600 and I have someone coming by today to take a look. My frame has a few cosmetic scratches on it and it's clearly been ridden. Blue Book had the value at 1600 for the top end of a bike in excellent condition, and I would consider mine to probably just be in good condition. I see a lot of similar stuff on Pinkbike for 2k but none have sold. There's 1 or 2 that have sold at 1600.
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Aug 10, 2020 17:35
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i should stick some flat bars and trigger shifters on my old road bike and sell it
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Aug 10, 2020 17:49
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Anyone ride in Duluth (MN)? I'll be there in a few weeks and am bringing my Spearfish.
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Aug 10, 2020 18:05
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Meanwhile my co worker says bikes are very cheap these days and she is looking to pay up to $150 for one. I want to live in that world.
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Aug 10, 2020 20:04
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bamhand posted:Meanwhile my co worker says bikes are very cheap these days and she is looking to pay up to $150 for one. I want to live in that world. It is FS and has a kickstand, all for $100. Obviously we are all suckers paying so much more.
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Aug 10, 2020 21:21
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spwrozek posted:It is FS and has a kickstand, all for $100. Obviously we are all suckers paying so much more. Out of stock. 
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Aug 10, 2020 21:38
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spwrozek posted:It is FS and has a kickstand, all for $100. Obviously we are all suckers paying so much more. ride it hard once, break it immediately, then return it. the Walmart bike special.
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Aug 10, 2020 21:44
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"Next mountain bike provides you with a top performance" As in "the next one you buy after this". But it has more gears than my bike so some dads somewhere will think it's better. Probably.
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Aug 10, 2020 21:53
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Yeah I checked on Walmart for kicks and their cheapest adult bike that isn't some weird foldable thing is like 400. Anyways ended up selling the Trance 2 in about 24 hours since posting. Dude hadn't ridden a mountain bike since he was a kid and I knew he was going to buy it as soon as he did a bunny hop on the test ride. Even if I didn't get top dollar I'm happyknowing the new owner is going to have a blast. Sad to see it go but I just don't realistically have the time for such an expensive bike. Gonna keep doing road and gravel though. Or whatever single track I can take my gravel bike on and not die.
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Aug 10, 2020 21:56
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It finally rained on my favorite local trail yesterday, so I had to go out and get it this morning. Unfortunately, my bike is at the shop right now getting brakes fixed, so I had to ride my wife's 2005 heckler   Amusingly, I was not any slower than my PRs on any of the downhill sections. I'm sure the better conditions and better than ever trail familiarity helped. It was extremely noisy with the chain bouncing all over the place.
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Aug 11, 2020 21:34
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Gentle goones I need skatepark slicks (>2") in 27,5". Does such a thing exist? Gravelking TLC? What are my options for 20"? Schwalbe Crazy Bob 54-406? Anyone ride on (polished) concrete with those sizes?
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Aug 11, 2020 21:55
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Does the maxxis hookworm still exist?
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Aug 11, 2020 22:26
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Steve French posted:It finally rained on my favorite local trail yesterday, so I had to go out and get it this morning. This is great. way to just go for it.
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Aug 11, 2020 23:28
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^^^Hookworm definitely exists, but I think it comes in a 20, 26, or 29.evil_bunnY posted:Gentle goones I need skatepark slicks (>2") in 27,5". Does such a thing exist? Gravelking TLC? The only 27.5 I've ridden in a park has been these: https://veetireco.com/product/plus-size-speedster/#shop SE Bikes uses these Vee tires, this is PK Ripper 27.5" tire. SE Bikes just makes them prettier. They're fast and grippy enough but honestly I have nothing else to compare them with. My BMX friend swears by the vans x cult 20", but he's always all in on any Vans thing.
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Aug 11, 2020 23:46
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evil_bunnY posted:Gentle goones I need skatepark slicks (>2") in 27,5". Does such a thing exist? Gravelking TLC? I wouldn't be afraid to throw 26" wheels on a skatepark bike. Or if it's a shared duty bike maybe pick up some cheap 26" wheels from pinkbike (they're basically free these days) and throw some awesome tires on there.
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Aug 12, 2020 05:18
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