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Nyyen posted:This is Gambrill State park and the Frederick Watershed north of Frederick. About 7.5-8 miles in on the Catoctin Blue Trail. Not sure exactly where that photo was taken, but I've ridden the section of that trail that runs north from the parking lot on Hamburg Road on my hardtail, looked about like that. I've only done it once, poo poo wrecked my knees.
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Aug 22, 2020 00:00
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| # ¿ May 21, 2024 05:50 |
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I rode Frederick Watershed yesterday morning for the first time in two years. Still on my hardtail but between wider wheelset and tires, better brakes, a wider cassette, rebuilt fork, and two years or experience, it went way better than last time. I was following a friend since I don't know the trail system. We ended up hiking up part of (I think) Catoctin Trail from the bottom of Three Saws because there was just no loving way, then we tried to ride up the Powerline Trail but it was so badly overgrown that we got separated and I ended up walking through someone's back yard to get out, rode the road back to the Hamburg Road lot, then 3 more miles of chunk. Had lunch, then finished the day off with 10 miles of flow trails at one of the parks in Montgomery County. Was having too much fun to take any pictures. Still plenty of stuff I had to walk over, I'm a little beat to hell today, a full sus is still several years' budget away, but I am so stoked about how much better I did than last time that I can't wait to get back up there. 
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Sep 7, 2020 17:22
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VacaGrande posted:Nice! If Three Saws is the end of your day you can ride Hamburg Rd up to where VW exits and get on Knucklebuster the rest of the way up the hill. It’s a good climbing trail. Alternately, turn around and climb back up Three Saws to the blue trail, then VW down to Knucklebuster and back up to the parking lot. I think I ended the ride going down Knucklebuster then up VW. I wish there were maps posted at the trail forks, it's hard to know.
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Sep 7, 2020 22:02
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h3r0n posted:Has anyone used the Park IB-3 to break their chain? I carry one of these, haven't had any issues with the chain tool. Has worked well enough that I haven't had the need yet to buy a dedicated tool.
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Oct 16, 2020 12:16
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Next Tuesday is New Bike Day, so I'm going to be selling my hardtail. It is a 2016 Marin Bobcat Trail 7.5 with the following changes: -Deore RD-M615 rear derailleur w/ goatlink -11-42T Deore cassette -Ditched the front mech, now runs 30T oval chainring, have a spare 32T oval and a 30T round to go with it. -Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheels with the pawl upgrade in the freehub to 106 points of engagement, 2 years old -Deore M4100 brakeset, 180m rotors front and back, 2 years old -50m stem, 780m handlebars (Deity bar and stem that's pictured is getting swapped to the new bike) -Fork is the same but was rebuilt a couple years ago, Rockshox had changed the design of the compression damper, works better than it did new -Replaced the QR skewers with Shimano XT's -2.4in High Roller II front, 2.4in Ardent rear, getting a little worn at this point but still have some life. -Paint is scratched to hell and back, has a small dent in the downtube but otherwise no frame damage. Non-boost spacing and straight head tube make further upgrades questionable, but none of what I've changed has been inconsequential. A coworker is getting first refusal friend-pricing but, if he doesn't want it, I was thinking of asking around $500. I am a lovely haggler, though, is that fair? Should I ask for more, given scarcity?
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Oct 9, 2021 16:29
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afflictionwisp posted:Next Tuesday is New Bike Day... It was Tuesday 
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Oct 13, 2021 17:25
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Eejit posted:New bike day! 2021 Ripmo AF that I've been waiting on for 11 months. It rides gud  Hey there, Aluminum Ibis Buddy! I have about 230 miles on this beast so far and it is so good. Dropper post maintenance question: This is the first time I've had one, and I'm having an issue with the post sticking when first released, after it has been sitting for a few hours. Once it has been lowered, it raises and lowers freely without issue for the rest of the ride, but the first time I hit the release it takes a bit of extra force to lower the post. I've played with the seat post clamp, it isn't over-torqued. Any thoughts?
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Nov 28, 2021 17:50
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OMGVBFLOL posted:what's the advantage of a dropper over a quick release seatpost? my bikes got a flat top tube so its a moot point for me, im just curious Not having to stop to adjust it, and it always returns to the same height.
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Jun 14, 2022 02:09
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cubicle gangster posted:I've been trying to buy a bike for ages (budget around $1k), I originally posted on a different bike specialist forum and everyone just argued about how poo poo all my options were and recommended bikes that were double my budget. they're all really gung ho about things like 'if you dont get modern geometry you might as well get a $400 wallmart bike' (actual quote) and anything except for 29" wheels is not worth bothering with. I think I need to stop asking them for advice. They're longer wheelbase, lower to the ground at the crank, seat tubes / saddle position have your butt closer to being straight above the crank, and they generally have a slacker angle at the head tube. Short version, makes going fast over rough and/or steep stuff easier to control, and easier to not go over the bars when you gently caress up. quote:If i'm planning to hit up trails once every 2 weeks and do some riding with my wife on paved/light gravel roads, do I even need it? Depends on the trail, but from what you're describing, no. quote:I have the chance to buy a 2020 roscoe 8 with a couple of upgrades. what's a fair price for this? This could be a great buy, if it's the right size for you. What's the size and how tall are you? Price depends on the condition, are there pictures of the bike we could look at? Do you know what the upgrades were? The bike would have been around $1800 new. afflictionwisp fucked around with this message at 16:29 on Sep 2, 2022 |
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Sep 2, 2022 16:24
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cubicle gangster posted:All I know is this other forum I asked of mountain bikers kept saying the frame of the bikes i was looking at 6 months ago were 'not modern', like did this massive shift in mountain bike design happen during covid? No, this is bullshit. A petty significant shift has happened between, like, 2016 and now, but if you don't have experience on other bikes to compare it to, then it doesn't really mean anything. My gateway drug to mountain biking was a 2016 aluminum hardtail at around the same price point as you, and I was riding that and having a blast until last fall. I've watched dudes ride some pretty aggressive trails in Maryland in the Frederick watershed (the rock garden at the end of this scares me to death) on old Trek hardtails from the early 2000s and crush it. Newer bikes are not a substitute for experience and skill. The best bike is the one you enjoy riding.
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Sep 2, 2022 17:27
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Happy New Bike Day!!! If it has been sitting that long without use or care, it may be worth having a shop service the fork. Edit: Spec sheet for that bike says it has an air spring fork - if you don't have one, you should pick up a high pressure pump so you can keep it consistent. afflictionwisp fucked around with this message at 23:38 on Sep 3, 2022 |
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Sep 3, 2022 23:18
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cubicle gangster posted:is there a high pressure one that can handle both? taqueso posted:e: a shock pump is different than a tire pump and I've never seen anything dual purpose. The shock will need to be pumped up to something like 200psi. This, max pressure will depend on the fork, and the right pressure for you will depend on body weight. Ask the shop to give you tips on finding the right pressure when you get is serviced. Once the petty cash is replenished, get a new floor pump with a pressure gauge, also. Tire pressure will make a big difference in how that bike behaves, and you want that to be consistent, too. afflictionwisp fucked around with this message at 00:27 on Sep 4, 2022 |
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Sep 4, 2022 00:23
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VelociBacon posted:Am I being made fun of or what does that do? It is a Trek thing. The seat tube isn't connected to the top tube and seat stays. There's a small axle there through the seat tube, and a couple bearings in the top tube. It is supposed to allow the seat tube to flex a bit. I have it on my road bike. It's nice for absorbing small vibrations, but I am not sure it would do much for things on a typical XC trail that wouldn't already be smoothed out by MTB tires. afflictionwisp fucked around with this message at 00:52 on Sep 5, 2022 |
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Sep 5, 2022 00:49
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Does anyone know if it is possible to increase the tension on a Float DPS shock's compression adjustment lever? With the position of the shock on my bike, I'll sometimes find half way through a ride that I've bumped it or hooked it with my pants leg and it has flicked fully closed.
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Feb 10, 2023 13:58
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Nocheez posted:Horses are just the loving worst. I rode on a multi-use trail at least 16 feet wide, and some old whiny horse rider said I should dismount and walk by her poor widdle Patches. Fast moving metal things making weird noises can spook the animal and endanger the rider and you. It is not an unreasonable expectation that you stop and talk (so the horse hears a human voice and has context) while they either pass or move the animal so you can pass. Every trail in my area is multi use hikers/bikers/horseback, and bikes are expected to yield to the others because of our speed. There are a few exceptions but we generally have a great relationship with our big furry friends. Having a friendly conversation goes a long way. The worst is the dog owners who refuse to use leashes or control their animals. Ive narrowly avoided a few crashes from dogs bolting unseen out of the woods for scritches. Horseback riders at least mostly understand that they need to be vigilant. afflictionwisp fucked around with this message at 19:53 on Mar 12, 2023 |
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Mar 12, 2023 19:49
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They're not imposing anything, you are accepting the realities of etiquette on a MUP by using it, regardless of your chosen mode of forward movement. No one has a monopoly on diskhead behavior. I refuse to make it worse. I want to be a good ambassador for the sport. I don't ride to be in a hurry, I don't care about my segment times or my watts, I will always stop for horses and be friendly. If you want to risk getting kicked by a 2000+ lb animal, getting someone else hurt, too, and give local govt legitimate reason to close more trails in your area to bikes, for the sake of saving 35 seconds on your Strava time, go for it.
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Mar 12, 2023 20:27
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Suburban Dad posted:I put an oval on my first hard tail a few years back and every bike since. Makes my knees feel better. I'm just gonna add one more voice to this, because same. The difference in performance is only noticeable to me on short, steep, loose climbs where I'm fighting for traction, but any time I go back to a round chainring I will have more knee pain after a ride. The only thing I DONT like about running an oval is that I've found the teeth wear unevenly. I've always found that the 2-3 teeth on the leading side of the top of the wide part of the oval wear faster than the rest of the ring, and will squeak a bit if not kept very clean. Started using OneUp's Switch system this year, not to swap between sizes, but so I can replace the chainring more cheaply.
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Apr 5, 2023 15:00
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MuadDib Atreides posted:Welp, in the time I’ve been probed the freshly copped Ripmo AF came in from Jenson. Highly recommend using a rear fender / mud guard on this bike. Occasionally your rear tire is going to toss a rock into the upper link, and occasionally that rock is going wedge between the link and the frame as the suspension compresses. I have a few paint chips in that area on my Ripley AF. Will help keep some of the dirt out of the bearings in the upper link, as well.
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Aug 31, 2023 13:07
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If the rubber flap you mentioned is what I think it is, that was primarily meant to protect the lower link (and mine eventually fell off). The upper link is the nutcracker. I ended up with an RRP Proguard on mine, but i had to cut a hole in it to stop the back of the upper link from rubbing on the mudguard itself 
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Aug 31, 2023 16:51
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In addition to what xzzy said, bikes show up at the stores only partially assembled, and department stores aren't going to be hiring people for their abilities as bike mechanics. You don't have to spend much time looking at r/Justridingalong to find pictures of department store bikes with assembly problems. Forks installed backwards, brakes set up wrong, every component imaginable loose, damage from screws not being torqued to spec, et cetera. If you want the Ozark, buy the Ozark, from what I've seen on the youtubes you could do a lot worse from a department store. The best bike is the one you love riding. But for safety's sake, unless you're already a competent bike mechanic, you're going to want to get a real bike shop to do a full safety check. That alone will likely cost you close to the difference between the Ozark and an entry level hardtail from a known brand, assembled by people who know what their doing. Most good bike shops will also offer some free checkup labor on bikes that they've directly sold, so there's an additional cost savings on maintenance.
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Apr 4, 2024 13:08
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| # ¿ May 21, 2024 05:50 |
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Polish posted:Are there service manuals from bike manufactures and such with proper torque values? From a known brand with good customer service and documentation, yes. Jesse Ventura posted:Edit: this thread gets way more traffic before 7AM than I would have guessed, lol. We wake up, get to the office, and start thinking about biking instead of working.
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Apr 4, 2024 13:32
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