The Biking Thread

[Tig]

Rode the Fisher Rig 29" single speed this morning in perfect weather. I had a blast!
Sometimes you just have to stop and look around, listen to the birds, and soak it all in. This is my ultimate medicine.

It has been about 6 years since I rode the Memorial Park trails (some of which I helped to build almost 30 years ago) and was saddened to see how many trees died from the drought a few years ago. I'd say about 35% are gone.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Rode the Fisher Rig 29" single speed this morning in perfect weather. I had a blast!
Sometimes you just have to stop and look around, listen to the birds, and soak it all in. This is my ultimate medicine.

It has been about 6 years since I rode the Memorial Park trails (some of which I helped to build almost 30 years ago) and was saddened to see how many trees died from the drought a few years ago. I'd say about 35% are gone.

I hit like for your ride. NOT for the tree loss. We have lost around the same percentage (just visually, not scientific) in certain areas of our lodgepole pine forests due to beetle infestation in the last decade. Seems to have slowed down now, but sucks.

 

[nuke_diver]

I've started a few ride this year at or near 40, but only because it was sunny and warming up quickly. I wear knickers below 52-ish.

Gonna' ride MTB tomorrow for the first time in a few years. Prepped the SS 29'er and she's still in great shape after putting a few psi in the fork and an overall clean up.

I'm shorts and tshirt to about 50, below that I need a jacket, below about 45 I need gloves :P

 

[Tig]

Got in a quick hour of riding this morning and stopped for a break.
Dang shuttles and shit think they own my road!

 

[nuke_diver]

Nice. My ride to the gym wasn't so exciting...though with a good 15mph tail wind with gusts to 30 I made it to the gym in record time.....

Coming back wasn't so much fun though...same winds which are now headwinds and uphill :fan:

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I have been looking at my next mountain bike for a while and am getting ready to pull the trigger. I have been looking for basically a trail bike that rolls like a 29er, but handles like a DeVinci Troy. (27.5 trail bike, wide bars, good full suspension, tossable, fun). So far, the Kona Process 111 has been the winner, over the Transition Smuggler, DeVinci Atlas 29 (now discontinued) and some other 29s. It is the first bike that makes me feel as confident diving into a turn as I feel on my skis diving down into an open bowl.

Now, however, a local shop has a Devinci Hendrix in, set up as a Plus right now. set up as a Plus, it is within 2mm diameter of a 29er. It is a bit more slack. I have not yet looked up the geometry to see if it has nice short chainstays. It does not have the Pike as the Process does and comes with maybe slightly less sweet components.

Thoughts??

EDIT: looks like 430 mm on the Process, and 433 on the Hendrix, for CS length.


http://www.konaworld.com/process_111.cfm
It seems set up nicer component wise, and has a dropper post, which I want. And seems to be lighter considering the dropper.

http://www.devinci.com/bikes/bike_691_scategory_182
Cheaper, can perhaps get a set of 29 wheels to swap on and off if I want to be more cross country, will need a dropper, and may end up a bit heavier as a result.

 

[Tig]

Rode 55 miles today and damn, my legs fell off about half way. I couldn't figure out WTF was wrong until I got home...
I took a prescription allergy med in the morning since I was fighting a nasty drip Friday and forgot how they dehydrate the body and muscles. Live and re-learn.

Then again, I might be aging.

 

[Tig]

Last 5 months. November and December were cold and rainy most weekends.
March should be much better than February. (In my racing days, I rode at least 150 miles a week messedup0 )

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Well, I pretty much pulled the trigger on a Process 111, new old stock from last year. No significant difference between last year and this year, and saved quite a lot. It is essentially going to be on "layaway" while I finish paying. Excited for it though!!

Specs, etc. http://2015.konaworld.com/process_111.cfm

I am going to drop the front ring to either a 30t or 28t from the 32t. Am going to consider setting the fork up for 130mm instead of the current 120. Will ride a while first before deciding on that.

I have been looking at my next mountain bike for a while and am getting ready to pull the trigger. I have been looking for basically a trail bike that rolls like a 29er, but handles like a DeVinci Troy. (27.5 trail bike, wide bars, good full suspension, tossable, fun). So far, the Kona Process 111 has been the winner, over the Transition Smuggler, DeVinci Atlas 29 (now discontinued) and some other 29s. It is the first bike that makes me feel as confident diving into a turn as I feel on my skis diving down into an open bowl.

Now, however, a local shop has a Devinci Hendrix in, set up as a Plus right now. set up as a Plus, it is within 2mm diameter of a 29er. It is a bit more slack. I have not yet looked up the geometry to see if it has nice short chainstays. It does not have the Pike as the Process does and comes with maybe slightly less sweet components.

Thoughts??

EDIT: looks like 430 mm on the Process, and 433 on the Hendrix, for CS length.


http://www.konaworld.com/process_111.cfm
It seems set up nicer component wise, and has a dropper post, which I want. And seems to be lighter considering the dropper.

http://www.devinci.com/bikes/bike_691_scategory_182
Cheaper, can perhaps get a set of 29 wheels to swap on and off if I want to be more cross country, will need a dropper, and may end up a bit heavier as a result.

 

[nuke_diver]

Last 5 months. November and December were cold and rainy most weekends.
March should be much better than February. (In my racing days, I rode at least 150 miles a week messedup0 )

I can't post such a pretty graph.

mine is similar but DecJan was the wet months and Oct I was gone for 2 weeks

Oct 228 miles 6661' elevation
Nov 250 miles 9400' elevation
Dec 174 miles 3367'
Jan 259 miles 9540'
Feb 394 miles 12887'

Not bad for an old guy. I usually do about 90 a week or so. But I ran into a guy that was 65 that said that you needed to be doing 300 a week thwap0
I'd be divorced I pretty sure.

March is looking wet so I'm going to try for 50ish miles tomorrow but that might be it for a few weeks. We need the rain and Feb was like May so I'm ok with missing some rides to alleviate the drought (I know I'm so altruistic )

 

[Tig]

Well, I pretty much pulled the trigger on a Process 111, new old stock from last year. No significant difference between last year and this year, and saved quite a lot.

I am going to drop the front ring to either a 30t or 28t from the 32t. Am going to consider setting the fork up for 130mm instead of the current 120. Will ride a while first before deciding on that.

Cool bike and very wise to buy last year's model. That is always the best way if you can find the right size, etc.

120, 130... Whatever it takes.
I remember when 49mm was new!

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Cool bike and very wise to buy last year's model. That is always the best way if you can find the right size, etc.

120, 130... Whatever it takes.
I remember when 49mm was new!

I rode my '89 Fisher Paragon until the sometime in the early 2000's, with an old rock shock that had not much more than that. I tend to ride my bikes a long time. I still have that Fisher, now set up as a 700c commuter. But I put the original steel fork back on.

For this purchase, I was starting to confuse myself with the new 27.5+ tires, and the Boost rear hub spacing a lot of manufacturers are adopting. This is despite the fact that I absolutely love how this bike rides. But for my purposes, this bike has what I want, and I am not worried about a new boost "standard" rendering it obsolete. For my flowy and fast riding conditions, 29ers are the way to go, and even if boost becomes a standard, I will be able to ride this bike with the older 142mm standard for years to come.

 

[nuke_diver]

I could have used a motor today on the way home...

Windy :P

I wouldn't be above cheating

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I could have used a motor today on the way home...

Windy

I wouldn't be above cheating

It's not cheating if you are not competing against someone else according to an agreed set of rules, and then violate them. Assisting yourself on the commute home is solely your choice. Of course there are those who would say you are only cheating yourself, but that's different.

We are pretty much not riding here yet. Lots of snow on the trails, and the roads are icy. A few crazies are out, but not many. Except for the few trying out the new fat bikes. I rode the spin bike yesterday, whilst watching an episode of Firefly on netflix on my phone to distract me. Didn't get a ride in today though.

 

[nuke_diver]

Nah I don't cheat and I don't compete either (and I no longer have to commute ). We are blessed with a climate that you can ride 365 days a year if you like. I don't ride if it's too cold for shorts nor do I ride if it is rainy. I ride strictly for fun (and the fact that it's good exercise for someone that has bad knee, no running for me) so I'm not going out if it is not fun. Half way up some of the hills I ride I wonder the same thing :P but usually after I finish I'm glad for the challenge. I generally keep my rides less than 50 miles as that's about the limit that my back/neck/knees and butt can handle. The challenge of doing a century is intriguing but I think that the last 30 or so miles would be torture and so I'm going to pass

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Sounds great! I mostly mountain bike when the season is open. I commute some for fun and exercise in summer months. I road bike some (on @Tig 's old frame). Mostly in the spring before the mountain bike trails melt out/dry out. But no centuries or racing. Although I hope to take part in our local "Crosstoberfest" cross race, in the citizen/beer drinker division this fall.

 

[nuke_diver]

I've thought about a mtn bike recently but I don't see getting one since I can't see that I would split the time between road and mtn biking well. And I'd be initially at least, intimidated on trails I think. I got my first road bike when I was about 10...in the late 60's and I've never ridden anything else since then. And like guitars I don't think I would be allowed to have too many and I have 2, one for long rides (a 2013 Cannondale CAAD-10 Ultegra) and my old (circa 1981) steel for shorter commute like rides that I know can be left outside and is unlikely to be stolen since it is pretty beat up. That one I ride about 50 miles a week to the gym.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

An article for your consideration over coffee, or a beer later. It mentions a trail close to here that I had on my radar but had not yet ridden because it is an "epic" size ride in terms of time, and as a Dad of young children, I had not yet been able to take it on. No can do now. Unless I poach it. And I pretty much don't do that. I have a law practice after all. Anyway, I submit for your consideration:

Banned in the USA
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/banned-in-the-usa-part-1-2016.html

 

[Tig]

An article for your consideration over coffee, or a beer later. It mentions a trail close to here that I had on my radar but had not yet ridden because it is an "epic" size ride in terms of time, and as a Dad of young children, I had not yet been able to take it on. No can do now. Unless I poach it. And I pretty much don't do that. I have a law practice after all. Anyway, I submit for your consideration:

Banned in the USA
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/banned-in-the-usa-part-1-2016.html

I don't ride banned trails either. The risk is far greater than the reward.
Sadly, I've seen the trend of banning mountain bikes grow in my 30+ years of riding. The same you don't belong attitude is spreading on the road as well.

From the article:
There is no environmental merit to banning bikes. None. Many opponents of bikes in Wilderness acknowledge this. Bikes, they argue instead, simply don't belong. This is less an environmental thing and more a social thing. Hikers and horseback riders don't like mountain bikers. It's as simple as that.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I don't ride banned trails either. The risk is far greater than the reward.
Sadly, I've seen the trend of banning mountain bikes grow in my 30+ years of riding. The same you don't belong attitude is spreading on the road as well.

From the article:
There is no environmental merit to banning bikes. None. Many opponents of bikes in Wilderness acknowledge this. Bikes, they argue instead, simply don't belong. This is less an environmental thing and more a social thing. Hikers and horseback riders don't like mountain bikers. It's as simple as that.

Yep. So, not sure why that is a good reason to deny access to public lands. Elevating one user's experience over the other, if there are not ecological or environmental reasons for doing so just does not make any sense.

On another note, I am really bummed I missed riding the Boulder/White Clouds. I had been meaning to get out there, but with kids and responsibilities, it is difficult to take the extra time. That particular bit of land could have been a monument, instead, which would have led to more flexible management. And in addition, the monument proposal protected more land. but the mountain bike folks lost out to other interests. So, bummed I don't get to ride there now. As a result, I am a bit more vocal than I used to be about this issue. I also now refuse to support my local conservation group as they are not bike friendly.